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Astronomy and Astrophysics

December 17, 2021
In Memoriam: Bill Mathews (1937–2021)
William George “Bill” Mathews—astrophysicist, musician, and idea foundry—died on September 24 at the age of 84, but his sparkle lives on.
November 05, 2021
UCSC astronomers help shape influential report on national priorities for their field
The 'Astro2020' Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics identifies the most compelling science goals and provides recommendations for funding agencies.
October 26, 2021
As launch of James Webb Space Telescope nears, astronomers anticipate new era of discoveries
UCSC astronomers will be among the first to use the powerful new space telescope, and have been involved in the project from the start.
October 21, 2021
Astronomers witnessed the spectacular death of a star as it happened
Observations with multiple telescopes yield new insights into the final stages in the evolution of a massive star before it exploded in a core-collapse supernova.
October 19, 2021
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz wins SACNAS Distinguished Mentor Award
Ramirez-Ruiz will be honored by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science at the 2021 SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference.
October 15, 2021
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz awarded American Physical Society’s Nicholson Medal
The American Physical Society’s 2021 Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach recognizes Ramirez-Ruiz for innovations in mentoring.
October 11, 2021
AAUW awards fellowships to three scholars at UC Santa Cruz
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has awarded 2021-22 American Fellowships to three scholars at UC Santa Cruz who will pursue academic work and lead innovative community projects to empower women and girls.
October 08, 2021
Astrophysicists explain the origin of unusually heavy neutron star binaries
Simulations of supernova explosions of massive stars paired with neutron stars can explain puzzling results from gravitational wave observatories.
September 13, 2021
Building community connections and STEM identity with science in the garden
A pilot program funded by the Packard Foundation brings science into the home environment through gardening.
September 02, 2021
Astronomers create the first 3D-printed stellar nurseries
Researchers can now hold stellar nurseries in their hands thanks to 3D printing, revealing features often obscured in traditional renderings and animations.
August 16, 2021
Nearby star-forming region yields clues to the formation of our solar system
The Ophiuchus star-forming complex offers an analog for the formation of the solar system, including the sources of elements found in primitive meteorites.
July 20, 2021
Blazing a Slug trail to the Olympics
Rhythmic gymnast Izzy Connor will be the first UC Santa Cruz student to compete in the Olympics—the result of years of both personal struggle and success.
June 29, 2021
Jonathan Fortney garners Simons Investigator in Astrophysics award
The $500,000 award from the Simons Foundation will support Fortney’s research on planetary atmospheres.
June 24, 2021
Cosmic dawn occurred 250 to 350 million years after Big Bang
Cosmic dawn, when stars formed for the first time, occurred 250 million to 350 million years after the beginning of the universe, according to a new study.
June 18, 2021
Searching for answers in the cosmos
Alumna Olivia Ross, winner of this year's prestigious Steck Award, took on the daunting quest of trying to find primordial black holes. Her faculty mentor calls this young, tireless scientist a "one-in-a-generation gem."
June 09, 2021
Claire Max to retire as director of UC Observatories
Claire Max, director of the University of California Observatories (UCO) and the Bachmann professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, will retire at the end of June.
May 26, 2021
Giant planets found in the stellar suburbs
A planetary census conducted by the California Legacy Survey illuminates where giant planets tend to reside relative to their stars.
May 20, 2021
Astronomers track down fast radio bursts to galaxies’ spiral arms
Mysterious flashes of radio energy that disappear in the blink of an eye originate from young, massive galaxies.
May 05, 2021
Temperamental supernova appeared strangely cool before exploding
A curiously yellow star has caused astrophysicists to reevaluate the possible pathways that can lead to the explosion of a massive star as a supernova.
April 19, 2021
James Webb Space Telescope program aims to map the earliest structures of the universe
COSMOS-Webb is slated to be the largest program in JWST’s first year of operation.
April 15, 2021
Baked meteorites yield clues to planetary atmospheres
The gases released from meteorite samples heated in a high-temperature furnace can tell scientists about the initial composition of the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets.
April 13, 2021
Study warns of ‘oxygen false positives’ in search for signs of life on other planets
Oxygen in the atmosphere may not be an entirely reliable ‘biosignature,’ but there are ways to distinguish false positives from signs of life.
March 31, 2021
Postdoctoral fellowships support planetary science research
Emily Martin and Melodie Kao have won 51 Pegasi b Fellowships to support their research on exoplanets.
March 11, 2021
Celestial heights and oceanic depths
Two of UC Santa Cruz’s most prominent trailblazers in science, astronomer Sandra Faber and alumna and former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan, spoke of risks, discoveries, and sexism in candid “fireside chat” during a Science and Engineering Library floor-naming event.
February 11, 2021
What Hollywood gets wrong (and right!) about protecting the Earth from asteroids
Meet alumna Kirsten Howley, the real-life astrophysicist working to prevent 'Armageddon'.
February 09, 2021
Astronomer J. Xavier Prochaska honored for top research paper in Science
J. Xavier Prochaska, distinguished professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, and his coauthors of a landmark paper describing a fast radio burst from a massive galaxy have been chosen to receive the prestigious AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize.
February 02, 2021
Two UCSC astronomers elected Fellows of the American Astronomical Society
Astronomers Raja GuhaThakurta and Garth Illingworth were honored as 2021 AAS Fellows for their extraordinary achievement and service.
January 13, 2021
UCSC’s Osterbrock Leadership Program goes national
The National Osterbrock Leadership Program provides experiences and opportunities for astronomy graduate students to develop leadership and management skills.
January 05, 2021
Friends of Lick Observatory helps fund wildfire recovery efforts
The group has designated $75,000 for the emergency support of wildfire relief efforts at Lick Observatory, where telescopes were saved but infrastructure was damaged.