Astronomy and Astrophysics
- December 16, 2009
Supernova explosions stay in shape
Supernova remnants--the debris from exploded stars--retain information about how their progenitor stars exploded.
- December 13, 2009
New planet discoveries suggest low-mass planets are common around nearby stars
An international team of planet hunters has discovered as many as six low-mass planets around two nearby Sun-like stars.
- September 14, 2009
Lick Observatory honors Kenneth and Gloria Levy with inaugural James Lick Award
Kenneth and Gloria Levy will receive the James Lick Award in recognition of their generous support for the Automated Planet Finder telescope.
- September 04, 2009
Lick Observatory celebrates 50th anniversary of Shane Telescope
For 50 years, the 3-meter Shane Telescope has helped keep Lick Observatory at the forefront of modern astronomy.
- August 12, 2009
Variability of type 1a supernovae has implications for dark energy studies
A new study reveals sources of variability in type 1a supernovae that could affect the precision of cosmic distance measurements.
- August 05, 2009
Astrophysicist establishes John Bahcall Award for top Mexican physics student
One of the top physics students in Mexico is spending this summer studying astrophysics at UCSC as the first winner of the John Bahcall Award.
- July 22, 2009
UC astronomer cheers Mauna Kea selection as site for Thirty-Meter Telescope
A leading astronomer at UC Santa Cruz hailed the selection of Mauna Kea in Hawaii as the site for construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope.
- July 21, 2009
UCSC scores high in competition for UC multi-campus research funding
Four research programs headquartered at UC Santa Cruz have received awards in the 2009 UC Multi-Campus Research Programs and Initiatives Competition (MRPI).
- July 20, 2009
Apollo 11 anniversary: Lick Observatory scientist recalls experiment 40 years ago
Forty years ago, Apollo 11 astronauts set a device on the surface of the moon to help Lick Observatory researchers calculate the distance to earth.
- July 16, 2009
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz wins prestigious NSF CAREER Award
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has won a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development award from the National Science Foundation.
- July 02, 2009
NASA's Fermi Telescope reveals a population of radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars
UCSC physicists have discovered a new class of pulsars using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
- June 08, 2009
New technique improves estimates of pulsar ages
Astronomers have developed a new technique to determine the ages of millisecond pulsars, the fastest-spinning stars in the universe.
- April 24, 2009
Astronomer Sandra Faber honored by Franklin Institute
Astronomer Sandra Faber received the 2009 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science in a ceremony yesterday in Philadelphia.
- March 19, 2009
Transfer students to benefit from physics and astronomy scholarships
UCSC has received a five-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support talented but financially needy students pursuing bachelor's degrees in physics or astrophysics.
- February 18, 2009
Sloan Research Fellowships awarded to two UCSC profs
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded Sloan Research Fellowships to Samit Dasgupta, assistant professor of mathematics, and Mark Krumholz, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics.
- February 17, 2009
Astronomer Sandra Faber to receive Franklin Institute's prestigious Bower Award
Astronomer Sandra Faber has been chosen to receive the 2009 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the historic Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
- January 27, 2009
Astronomers get a sizzling weather report from a distant planet
Astronomers have observed the intense heating of a distant planet as it swung close to its parent star, providing important clues to the atmospheric properties of the planet.
- January 14, 2009
New study resolves mystery of how massive stars form
A study led by astrophysicist Mark Krumholz shows how massive stars can form without blowing away the clouds of gas and dust that feed their growth.
- January 05, 2009
Astronomers use gamma-ray burst to probe star formation in the early universe
The brilliant afterglow of a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) has enabled astronomers to probe the star-forming environment of a distant galaxy, resulting in the first detection of molecular gas in a GRB host galaxy.
