2017 News
April 17, 2025
First observations of merging neutron stars mark a new era in astronomy
October 16, 2017
A UC Santa Cruz team made the first ever observations of a visible event linked to the detection of gravitational waves, using the small Swope Telescope in Chile.
Astronomy grad students honored by International Astronomical Union
June 23, 2017
Caroline Morley and Morgan MacLeod are among the first winners of the IAU Ph.D. Prize in recognition of outstanding scientific achievement.
Astronomer Jerry Nelson, pioneering designer of large telescopes, dies at age 73
June 13, 2017
Jerry Nelson, a pioneering astronomer known for his innovative designs for advanced telescopes, died June 10 at his home in Santa Cruz.
Astronomer Sandra Faber awarded Gruber Cosmology Prize
May 17, 2017
Faber's groundbreaking studies of galaxies helped establish many of the foundational principles of modern cosmology.
Ripples in cosmic web measured using rare double quasars
April 27, 2017
Astronomers have made the first measurements of small-scale ripples in the primeval hydrogen gas left over from the Big Bang.
Planet hunting citizen scientists produce quick results for astronomers
April 18, 2017
The Exoplanet Explorer project led by UCSC astronomer Ian Crossfield got a big boost from a live television broadcast in Australia
Undergrad wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
April 17, 2017
Physics major Andrea Antoni has been named a 2017 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
UCSC and Chinese officials sign agreement for Graduate Student Scholars Program
March 29, 2017
New program will bring top Chinese students to UC Santa Cruz for graduate studies in astronomy and astrophysics.
Astronomers observe early stages of Milky Way-like galaxies in distant universe
March 23, 2017
New observations reveal massive, dusty galaxies with high rates of star formation and large, extended layers of gas.
Universe's ultraviolet background provides clues about missing galaxies
March 23, 2017
A new technique to detect the cosmic ultraviolet background radiation may show why there are so few small galaxies.
Astronomer Ruth Murray-Clay appointed to chair in theoretical astrophysics
March 03, 2017
Investiture ceremony honors Murray-Clay as the inaugural holder of the E. K. Gunderson Family Chair in Theoretical Astrophysics
Vast luminous nebula poses a cosmic mystery
February 23, 2017
Glowing nebula appears to be part of the cosmic web of filaments connecting galaxies, but what's lighting it up?
Astronomy team releases planet-search data, finds more than 100 candidates
February 13, 2017
The HIRES spectrometer, designed and built by UCSC astronomer Steven Vogt, has been a planet-hunting workhorse for over two decades.
Black hole meal sets record for length and size
February 06, 2017
New observations confirm a theoretical model developed by UCSC astrophysicists of a black hole tearing apart a star.
Science Internship Program creates opportunities for high school students
January 26, 2017
SIP alumni and their families are raising funds to extend the program's reach and support need-based scholarships.
