Astronomy and Astrophysics

Why study astronomy?

Astronomy is the earliest of the scientific disciplines. In historic times, astronomy was the study of the motions of the sun and moon and planets through the stars as well as more transcient events such as comets and eclipses.

In modern times, astronomy has become much more complex. We have reached a level of understanding that allows us to attempt to explain all manner of phenomena: binary star systems, supernovae, merging galaxies, large scale structure, and the fate of the universe. We can observe the universe at almost all wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays. We use a vast array of technology to explore the cosmos - from the enormous radio dish at Arecibo to the orbiting space observatories such as Hubble and COBE. There seems to be no end to the fascinating discoveries.

Astronomy Departments

This is a listing of astronomy departments and physics departments with strong emphasis on astronomy. If any have been left out, please let us know.

Since the list is rather, well, long, here are a few that I would recommend as good departments to start off with.

Note: Academy Alumni affiliated with a specific schools will be listed beneath that school.

Arizona State University - Department of Physics and Astronomy (ASU)

Boston University - Astronomy Department (BU)

CalTech - Astronomy

alumni: Ben Mazin

Columbia University - Astronomy and Astrophysics

Cornell University - Department of Astronomy

Dartmouth College's Physics and Astronomy

Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Astronomy, ( UIUC )

- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy ( RPI )

Georgia State University - Astronomy ( GSU )

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics ( CFA )

Indiana University - Astronomy Department

Iowa State University - Department of Physics & Astronomy ( ISU )

Johns Hopkins University - Department of Physics and Astronomy ( JHU )

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Physics Department, Center for Space Research (MIT)

Michigan State University - Physics & Astronomy( MSU )

New Mexico State University - Department of Astronomy ( NMSU )

North Carolina State University - Astrophysics ( NCSU )

Northwestern University - Astronomy ( NWU )

Ohio State University - Department of Astronomy

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics ( PSU )

Yale's Physics, Applied Physics, and Astrophysics

Princeton University - Astrophysics Graduate Program

Purdue University - High Energy Astrophysics

Rice University - Department of Space Physics and Astronomy

Rutgers - University Astronomy

San Diego State University (SDSU) - Department of Astronomy

The University of Toledo - Department of Physics and Astronomy ( UT-P&A )

Tufts University - Astronomy Program

University of Alabama - Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Arizona - Theoretical Astrophysics Program

University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)- Physics ( UCSB )

University of California, Berkeley - Astronomy Department ( UCB-Astronomy )

UCLA - Department of Physics and Astronomy (UCLA) ( UCLA )

University of California, San Diego - Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS)( UCSD - CASS )

University of California, Santa Barbara - Astrophysics Group ( UCSB )

University of California, Santa Cruz[UCSC]

University of Chicago - Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics

University of Colorado, Boulder's Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences

University of Delaware - Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Denver - Astronomy

University of Florida - Astronomy Dept.

University of Hawaii - Institute for Astronomy ( UH - IfA )

University of Hawaii, Manoa - Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Iowa - Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Kansas - Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Kentucky - Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Maryland, College Park - Astronomy Department

University of Massachusetts, Amherst - Department of Astronomy

University of Michigan - Astronomy Department

alumni: Julia Plummer (GSFC97) , Elisa Quintana (GSFC97)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Department of Physics

University of North Carolina - Physics and Astronomy

University of Pennsylvania - Physics Department ( High-Energy Astrophysics )

University of Pittsburgh - Department of Physics & Astronomy

University of Texas, Austin - Department of Astronomy / McDonald Observatory

University of Virginia - Astronomy Department

University of Washington - Department of Astronomy

University of Wisconsin-Madison - Astronomy Department

University of Wyoming - Physics and Astronomy

Virginia Tech - Astrophysics

Yale University - Astronomy Department

NAAA contact:Julia Plummer, GSFC '97

Back to Gradinfo Page