News
2023 ARCS Foundation scholarships support UCSC graduate students in the sciences and engineering
September 11, 2023
Sixteen UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $175,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2023-24 academic year.
Celebrating the success of a human-centered approach to supporting emerging scientists
July 21, 2023
Graduate school admissions, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awards, and American Astronomical Society honors mark a banner year for UCSC's Lamat Institute.
UCSC’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience awards over $4.6 million to support California coastal projects
June 28, 2023
The UCSC Center for Coastal Climate Resilience has awarded over $4.6 million in funding to 23 UC Santa Cruz research groups for pilot projects and implementation projects supporting efforts to fight climate change in coastal communities across California and beyond. Funds for these grant programs came from the California State Budget Act of 2022-23.
Astronomers map temperatures and find traces of water in a super-hot gas giant’s atmosphere
May 31, 2023
Astronomers used the Webb Telescope to make a temperature map of the “hot Jupiter” exoplanet WASP-18b, revealing dramatic temperature gradients in its atmosphere.
Summer programs draw visitors to Lick Observatory for music and stargazing
May 16, 2023
The Summer Series program at UC's Lick Observatory draws concert fans and astronomy devotees to the summit of Mt. Hamilton for live music, evening astronomy lectures from world-renowned scientists, and the opportunity to view celestial objects through historic telescopes.
Astronomers observe the first radiation belt seen outside of our solar system
May 15, 2023
High-resolution imaging of radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf show a double-lobed structure like the radiation belts of Jupiter.
Big Questions: Astronomer Father and Artist Daughter
April 3, 2023
An astrophysicist, musician, mentor, and inspiration, Bill Mathews died in September 2021. His daughter, Amey Mathews, began drawing portraits of him in his memory.
NASA’s search for life in the cosmos is focus of April 17 lecture and discussion
April 3, 2023
‘Whispers from Other Worlds,’ a public lecture and discussion at the Rio Theater, features NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen and science journalist Nadia Drake.
JWST’s first direct spectrum of planetary-mass object reveals dynamic atmosphere
March 22, 2023
The most detailed spectrum ever for a planetary-mass object outside our solar system covers an unprecedented range of wavelengths, providing a wealth of new insights.
Young Supernova Experiment releases first set of transient survey data
March 15, 2023
UC Santa Cruz astronomers organized the survey, which has discovered thousands of cosmic explosions and other transient events of interest to astronomers and astrophysicists.
First images released from James Webb Space Telescope’s largest general observer program
March 9, 2023
Mosaic images from the COSMOS-Web program offer a treasure trove of early galaxies, including dazzling examples of spiral galaxies, gravitational lensing, and evidence of galaxy mergers.
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz wins 2023 AAAS Mentor Award
March 3, 2023
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the 2023 AAAS Mentor Award to Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.
Major expansion of Lick Observatory education programs will benefit Bay Area students
February 21, 2023
Scientific Teaching through Astronomy Research (STARs), a suite of new outreach and education programs at UC’s Lick Observatory, will reach a diverse population of K-12 and college-age students.
Astronomers observe light bending around an isolated white dwarf
February 2, 2023
The first detection of gravitational lensing for a single, isolated star other than our sun comes 100 years after a landmark experiment using the sun to confirm Einstein’s prediction.
Study finds active galactic nuclei are even more powerful than thought
January 16, 2023
A new study indicates that scientists have substantially underestimated the energy output of active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes because their light is dimmed by dust.
Astronomers find the most distant stars in our galaxy halfway to Andromeda
January 9, 2023
A search for variable stars called RR Lyrae has found some of the most distant stars in the Milky Way’s halo a million light years away.
Astronomers report most distant known galaxies, detected and confirmed by Webb telescope
December 9, 2022
Spectroscopic observations with the James Webb Space Telescope confirm four early galaxies dating back to less than 400 million years after the Big Bang, three of which are the most distant confirmed to date.
New JWST data reveal more details of exoplanet WASP-39b's atmosphere
November 22, 2022
A 'mystery molecule' seen in the initial spectrum has been identified as sulfur dioxide produced by photochemical reactions in the planet's atmosphere.
Batalha testifies at Congressional hearing on the initial scientific findings of the JWST
November 22, 2022
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope humans have sent to space and, Batalha asserts, it is ushering in a new era of exoplanet science.
Webb telescope draws back the curtain on universe’s early galaxies
November 17, 2022
Initial findings from JWST Early Release Science programs include the discovery of two exceptionally bright galaxies in the early universe.
List of most highly cited researchers features 19 UCSC scientists and engineers
November 15, 2022
A new list of the world's most highly cited researchers includes 19 scientists and engineers at UC Santa Cruz.
Death of a star reveals midsize black hole lurking in a dwarf galaxy
November 10, 2022
By studying intermediate-mass black holes, scientists hope to improve their understanding of the growth of supermassive black holes in massive galaxies.
New astronomy network catalyzes scientific excellence
November 9, 2022
A new STEM mentoring network seeks to maximize scientific excellence and output within the astronomy and astrophysics community by cultivating inclusive environments where people with marginalized identities can thrive.
COSMOS program serves as a portal for aspiring astrophysicist’s journey to UC Santa Cruz
October 19, 2022
Her high school experience on campus motivated and inspired Julia Stewart (Crown ’24, astronomy) to matriculate to UCSC. Now she is paving the way for the next generation of math and science protégés seeking their own North Star
Astronomer Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz honored as Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences
October 11, 2022
Ramirez-Ruiz and alumnus Scott Shaffer were selected by the California Academy of Sciences to join the ranks of Academy Fellows.
UCSC welcomes 41 outstanding new faculty members
October 4, 2022
With the start of the 2022-23 academic year, UC Santa Cruz welcomes 41 new senate faculty members. The research and creative scholarship and expertise brought to our campus by these new faculty colleagues will strengthen existing areas of work and open discovery opportunities.
Black Lives Matter: A statement from our department
June 24, 2020
