Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Scientists discover record-breaking fifth planet orbiting a star beyond our solar system
A team of American astronomers announced the discovery of a fifth planet around a star called 55 Cancri.
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UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber and chemist Jin Zhang elected 2007 AAAS Fellows
Two UCSC scientists–Sandra Faber, University Professor and chair of astronomy and astrophysics, and Jin Zhang, professor of chemistry and biochemistry–have been honored as 2007 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
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Scientists study tiny galaxy halfway across the universe
A tiny galaxy nearly halfway across the universe, the smallest in size and mass known to exist at that distance, has been identified and studied by an international team of over a dozen scientists, including four at UCSC.
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Multiwavelength images of distant universe now available on Google Sky
A massive project to map a distant region of the Universe in multiple wavelengths–from x-rays through ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and radio waves–is releasing its data this week to both fellow scientists and the general public.
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Major gift supports crucial piece of Automated Planet Finder
The Gloria and Kenneth Levy Foundation has donated $600,000 to fund an innovative spectrometer for the Automated Planet Finder at UC’s Lick Observatory.
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Thirty-Meter Telescope Project Receives $15 Million from Moore Foundation
UC and Caltech have each received $7.5 million in additional funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for the development of the Thirty-Meter Telescope.
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Adaptive optics pinpoints two supermassive black holes in colliding galaxies
Astronomers have used powerful adaptive optics technology at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to reveal the precise locations and environments of a pair of supermassive black holes at the center of an ongoing collision between two galaxies 300 million
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UCSC astronomer Douglas Lin appointed director of Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in China
Douglas Lin, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC, has been named founding director of the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (KIAA) at Peking University in Beijing, China.
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Music and stargazing entice summer visitors to Mt. Hamilton’s Lick Observatory
UC’s Lick Observatory offers its 27th season of evening programs for music lovers and astronomy buffs this summer, featuring concerts, lectures, and opportunities to view the night sky through the observatory’s history-making telescopes atop Mt. Hamilton.
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Supernova Sage: Stan Woosley
Stan Woosley, one of the world’s leading theoretical astrophysicists, studies the evolution of massive stars–and their explosive demise.
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AEGIS survey reveals new principle governing galaxy formation and evolution
Faced with the bewildering array of galaxies in the universe, from orderly spirals to chaotic mergers, it is hard to imagine a unifying principle that describes them all with mathematical precision. But that is just what astronomers have now discovered.
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UC Santa Cruz students see stars, thanks to local company
UC Santa Cruz students will have more time with the stars, thanks to a generous donation from a local company. Watsonville-based Orion Telescopes has made a gift of 10 portable telescopes for field use by students, creating greatly enhanced opportunities for observing in introductory courses. “This gift means many more possibilities for students to have…