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.
Latest news
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Postdoctoral fellowship supports planetary science research
Elizabeth Bailey has won a 51 Pegasi b Fellowship from the Heising-Simons Foundation for research at UC Santa Cruz on exoplanets and the formation of planetary systems.
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In Memoriam: Lloyd Robinson (1929–2020)
Lloyd Burdette Robinson died peacefully in his sleep on March 12, 2020. He was 90.
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UCSC thin-film expertise to help develop NASA’s next generation of space telescopes
Engineer Nobuhiko Kobayashi's expertise in thin-film technology could improve the performance of NASA’s next generation of space telescopes.
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Astronomers use slime mold model to reveal dark threads of the cosmic web
The problem-solving prowess of a simple slime mold has been harnessed to trace the large-scale structure of the universe.
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Heising-Simons Foundation supports exoplanet imaging projects at UC Santa Cruz
Three new grants totaling $2.4 million will fund work at UCSC on new instruments and technologies to support research on planets beyond our solar system.
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Bringing new perspectives to astronomy
An array of grants from the Heising-Simons Foundation is helping UC Santa Cruz accelerate astrophysics and other sciences while changing what we think an astrophysicist looks like
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Astronomer Sandra Faber awarded Royal Astronomical Society’s Gold Medal
The Royal Astronomical Society has awarded its Gold Medal in Astronomy to Sandra Faber, professor emerita of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.
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$1 million gift creates William Wallace Campbell Director’s Fund for Lick Observatory
A new endowment honoring the third director of Lick Observatory will support current and future directors’ priorities for the observatory.
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Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz gives TED talk at National Academy of Sciences
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, is among a select group of scientists who delivered TED talks at the National Academy of Sciences in November.
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Composition of gas giant planets not determined by host star, study finds
Research led by astronomers at UC Santa Cruz and Carnegie Institution for Science has implications for understanding how planets form.
Related Links
Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Research
Astronomy and Astrophysics Department
Earth and Planetary Sciences Department
Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics
UC High-Performance Astrocomputing Center
Other Selected Links
Video Spotlight
Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees
From quasars to black holes, Martin Rees is at the center of astronomical research.
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