Excellence in Space Sciences

From Earth to the edge of the universe, UC Santa Cruz makes giant impacts in astronomy, astrophysics, and planetary science. We are pioneering new technologies for giant telescopes, adaptive optics, and gamma-ray astrophysics; discovering planets beyond our solar system and the most distant galaxies in the universe; and reshaping paradigms in cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. From NASA missions to the UC Observatories, we help people see what has never been seen before.

$${_EscapeTool.xml(imgAlt)}$ Simulations reveal hydrodynamics of planetary engulfment by expanding star
A new study using hydrodynamical simulations reveals the forces acting on a planet when it is swallowed by an expanding star, as will eventually happen to the inner planets of our solar system when the sun becomes a red giant.
$${_EscapeTool.xml(imgAlt)}$ Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz chosen for prestigious Julio Cortázar Latin American Chair
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, has been selected to hold the Julio Cortázar Latin American Chair at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, for 2022.
$${_EscapeTool.xml(imgAlt)}$ Summer programs draw visitors to Lick Observatory for music and stargazing
Tickets are on sale now for the observatory's popular summer evening programs.
$${_EscapeTool.xml(imgAlt)}$ Postdoctoral fellowships support planetary science research
Brittany Miles and Paul Dalba have won 51 Pegasi b Fellowships to support their research on exoplanets and brown dwarfs.
$${_EscapeTool.xml(imgAlt)}$ Methane could be the first detectable indication of life beyond Earth
A new study assesses the planetary context in which the detection of methane in an exoplanet’s atmosphere could be considered a compelling sign of life.

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