2012 News
April 17, 2025
UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber to receive the National Medal of Science
December 21, 2012
The White House announced Friday, December 21, that UC Santa Cruz faculty member Sandra Faber is one of a dozen eminent researchers selected to receive the National Medal of Science.
Grad Student Morgan McLeod and UCSC OpenLab featured in UX Magazine
December 19, 2012
Morgan MacLeod, a graduate student in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, has been working with visualizations of physics models to help researchers and the general public develop a sense of what happens during certain interactions between stars and super massive black holes (SMBHs).
Closest single star like our Sun may have a habitable planet
December 18, 2012
An international team of astronomers has found that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may host five planets.
New super-Earth planet found in habitable zone of six-planet system
November 07, 2012
An international team of astronomers has discovered a new super-Earth planet in the habitable zone of a nearby star.
Astronomers uncover a surprising trend in galaxy evolution
October 19, 2012
A comprehensive study of hundreds of galaxies has revealed an unexpected pattern of change that extends back 8 billion years.
Hubble produces deepest ever view of the universe
September 25, 2012
UCSC astronomer Garth Illingworth's team assembled the "eXtreme Deep Field" image of distant galaxies.
Eminent astronomer Sandra Faber to deliver 2012 Maitra Lecture on October 3
September 12, 2012
Astronomer Sandra Faber will deliver the 12th annual Maitra Memorial Lecture October 3: "Modern Genesis and the Limits of Cosmic Knowledge."
Astronomer Raja Guhathakurta part of science team that used Hubble to unmask ghost galaxies
July 12, 2012
Hubble views of Leo IV and two other small-fry galaxies in this study reveal that their stars share the same birth date.
Dark galaxies of the early universe spotted for the first time
July 11, 2012
For the first time, dark galaxies--an early phase of galaxy formation, predicted by theory but unobserved until now--may have been spotted.
Michael Bolte to step down as director of UC Observatories
July 02, 2012
Michael Bolte has announced his decision to resign as director of UC Observatories at the end of July and will return to full-time teaching and research at UC Santa Cruz.
Astronomer Sandra Faber receives prestigious Bruce Gold Medal
June 01, 2012
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has awarded the 2012 Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal to UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber.
Milky Way destined for head-on collision with Andromeda galaxy
May 31, 2012
Our galactic neighbor the Andromeda galaxy is on a collision course with our own Milky Way galaxy, according to new observations.
A fusion of art and science
April 25, 2012
Physics undergrad makes the most of research opportunities
April 17, 2012
Senior physics major Melinda Soares has won honors for her research presentations at two conferences in the past year.
Kepler Explorer app puts distant planets at your fingertips
April 03, 2012
Kepler Explorer, an innovative app for iPads and iPhones, provides interactive displays of planetary systems discovered by the Kepler Mission.
New images capture 'stealth merger' of dwarf galaxies
February 08, 2012
Images of a nearby dwarf galaxy show the remains of an even smaller companion galaxy in the process of merging with its host.
New super-Earth detected within the habitable zone of a nearby star
February 02, 2012
An international team of scientists has discovered a potentially habitable super-Earth orbiting a nearby star.
Record 29 Bay Area high school students are Intel semifinalists
January 11, 2012
Computer simulations by UCSC astrophysicist, Piero Madau, featured in Discover Magazine Top 2011 Stories
January 9, 2012
Computer simulations of the formation of the Milky Way galaxy by UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist Piero Madau among the top 10 Physics and Math stories of 2011 according to Discover Magazine