Welcome to UCSC! The Astronomy department is looking forward to greeting you on campus this September.

The Astronomy department at UCSC is world-famous. We are affiliated with the University of California Observatories (UCO), which helps to operate the twin 10-meter Keck telescopes in Hawaii, the world's largest. UCO also owns and operates Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton, which has a 3-meter telescope, a 2.4-meter telescope under construction for finding extra-solar planets, and several smaller instruments. The UCO Shops have pioneered state-of-the-art instrumentation for large optical telescopes and offer project oportunities for undergraduates who are instrumentally inclined. A high-speed computer is also now being installed to enable realistic numerical simulations. The department is a world leader in cosmology, galaxy formation, extra-solar planets, and various aspects of high-energy astrophysics. By working on resaerch projects with our faculty, staff, and graduate students, our undergraduates can conduct forefront scientific research that exploits data from all of these world-class facilities.

The Astronomy department does not have an undergraduate Major per se. We do have a Minor, and we also have a combined Major with the Physics department, which is called Physics/Astrophysics. The latter is the standard track for students wishing to prepare themselves for graduate study in astronomy. We also have a coordinated program with Earth and Planetary Sciences for students wishing to study the formation and evolution of extra-solar planetary systems; an EPS major combined with an Astronomy Minor is a good way to do this.

Here is a list of Astronomy resources available to you from the moment you set foot on campus:

Honors Undergraduate Seminar in Astrophysics Research (ASTR 70): to be offered in Fall Quarter.
A once-weekly informal seminar featuring presentations and conversations with astronomy faculty, grads, and postdocs. Hear about world-class research programs that are going on at UCSC. Meet prestigious faculty in a friendly one-on-one setting. Tour world-class facilities. Meets Tuesdays from 4-5:30; refreshments included. Enrollment limited to 15 students. Contact the department office for more information: 831-459-2844.

Astronomy Research Social: held twice yearly in October and April. An informal "party" atmosphere where you can meet our graduate students, postdocs, and faculty with the goal of learning about ongoing Astronomy research. This is a good venue to choose a Senior Thesis topic during your senior year, but we urge you to get involved in research well before that, if research interests you. It takes awhile to get up to speed doing research, so starting early is really important. We suggest you stop by the first one in October to see what it is all about. Contact the department office for future scheduled dates:  831-459-2844.

Weekly colloquia in Astronomy (Wed at 4 PM), Physics (Thurs at 4 PM), and Earth and Planetary Sciences (Tues at 4 PM). These colloquiua feature presentations of forefront research work by visitors from other institutions. Colloquia may seem technical and full of jargon at first, but we encourage you to attend anyway, and over the years it will all gradually become clearer and you will learn an enormous amount.

Astronomy FLASH (Friday Lunchtime Astrophysics Seminar Hour), Fridays from 12:30-1:30. Like a colloquium but more informal. Bring a lunch and listen to research presentations by Astronomy graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and occasional visitors.

The Astronomy "teen" courses: these are introductory astronomy courses aimed at science majors. They presume no previous knowledge of astronomy, but they contain more math and more rigorous science than the regular introductory courses. Students aiming for an Astronomy minor or the Physics/AStrophysics major should be taking these courses in preference to the regular ones. They are intended for freshmen and sophomores.

Undergraduate advisors: Astronomy, Physics, and Earth Sciences all have undergraduate advisors who are there to assist you in planning what courses you will take:

Astronomy:
Dr. Adriane Steinacker, Adjunct Associate Professor
Undergraduate Advisor
Rm. 157, Interdisciplinary Sciences Bldg.
Phone: 459-2790
Email: asteinacucsc [dot] edu

Division of Physical & Biological Undergraduate Affairs
Advising Center
Thimann 3rd Floor

Earth and Planetary Sciences:
epsadvisingucsc [dot] edu (Andrea Gilovich)
 

Physics & Astrophysics:
physicsadvisingucsc [dot] edu (Teri Pennington)

In later years, if you intend to go to graduate school, you will certainly want to do a Senior Thesis on some astronomy topic. Regulations require you to start the thesis in the fall of senior year, but we strongly advise you to get started on it much sooner than that, as you will need to develop research tools and background knowledge. Your thesis will be much meatier and more interesting if you are engaged in a project well before your senior year. That is why we call your attention to the Astronomy Research Socials, which provide a convenient venue for meeting research teams. Inquiring about research opportunities with your instructors in classes that interest you is also highly encouraged.

Looking forward to seeing you all this fall and wishing you the very best for a productive life-long career in science, whichever field you choose.

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