Astronomy & Astrophysics
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UCSC ranked first in nation for research impact in physics
In a new analysis of research publications from top U.S. universities, the University of California, Santa Cruz, ranked first for the impact of its faculty in the field of physics and fifth in the field of space sciences.
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DOE awards support UCSC research on dark matter and supernovae
The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded valuable computing time on one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers to two research projects led by scientists at UCSC.
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Donald Osterbrock, eminent astronomer and former director of Lick Observatory, dies at age 82
Donald Osterbrock, an eminent astronomer, a leading authority on the history of astronomy, and former director of UC’s Lick Observatory, died suddenly on Thursday, January 11. He was 82.
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Astronomers find the most distant star clusters hidden behind a nearby cluster
Astronomers have discovered the most distant population of star clusters ever seen, hidden behind one of the nearest such clusters to Earth.
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Astronomers discover an enormous halo of red giant stars around Andromeda
Astronomers have found an enormous halo of stars bound to the Andromeda galaxy and extending far beyond the swirling disk seen in images of the famous galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbor.
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Supercomputer study shows Milky Way’s halo of dark matter in unprecedented detail
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have used NASA’s most powerful supercomputer to run the largest simulation to date of the formation and evolution of the dark matter halo that envelops the Milky Way galaxy. Their results show substructures within the halo in unprecedented detail, providing a valuable tool for understanding the evolutionary…
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Astronomer Joseph Miller receives Berkeley Medal and UC Citation of Excellence
The University of California, Berkeley, has awarded its highest honor, the Berkeley Medal, to Joseph Miller, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. Miller, who served as director of UC Observatories/Lick Observatory for 14 years before stepping down last year, also received the UC Citation of Excellence. Both awards were presented at a…
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UC appoints Michael Bolte director of UC Observatories/Lick Observatory
The University of California has appointed Michael Bolte, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, as the director of UC Observatories/Lick Observatory (UCO/Lick). The appointment, effective as of July 1, was announced jointly today (October 27) by UC Provost Rory Hume and UCSC Acting Chancellor George Blumenthal. Michael Bolte (Photo: Tim Stephens) UC…
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ARCS Foundation scholarships support ten UCSC graduate students
Ten UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $100,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2006-07 academic year. The Northern California chapter of the ARCS Foundation is the most generous provider of annual private awards to the UCSC campus and has provided more than $1…
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Planet hunters wanted to help astronomers in the search for new worlds
Astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are seeking the public’s help to find and understand planets outside our solar system. But you don’t need an advanced degree or even a telescope to participate–just a computer, access to the Internet, and an interest in astronomy. The project, called Systemic, enlists volunteers to help astronomers…
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UCSC astronomer Constance Rockosi wins prestigious Packard Fellowship
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has awarded a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering to Constance Rockosi, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Packard Fellowship, worth a total of $625,000, is one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for young faculty members. Rockosi will receive $125,000…
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Astronomers trace the evolution of the first galaxies in the universe
A systematic search for the first bright galaxies to form in the early universe has revealed a dramatic jump in the number of such galaxies around 13 billion years ago. These observations of the earliest stages in the evolution of galaxies provide new evidence for the hierarchical theory of galaxy formation–the idea that large galaxies…