High Impact
Discovery
DESI
UC Santa Cruz researchers hold crucial roles in “Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument” collaboration
JWST
We lead innovative observations from exoplanet atmospheres to galaxy formation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
FRB
UC Santa Cruz astrophysicists are recognized for advancing research on the mysterious Fast Radio Bursts (FRB)
Exploring the Universe, Inspiring Discovery
UC Santa Cruz is a world-renowned leader in astronomy and astrophysics. We are innovators and leaders across observations, instrumentation, and computational astrophysics.
Department Seminars
Join us for our Astronomy and Astrophysics seminars, including Astronomy Colloquium. Get the chance to hear from experts in the field from universities all over the world, including here at Santa Cruz! Check our seminar calendar for other regular departmental events as well.
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In the News

UC Santa Cruz ranks among top 25 global public universities in new rankings
UC Santa Cruz’s high placement underscores a growing influence on the global research stage and strengths in areas with significant scientific and societal impact.

UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association announces 2025 UCSC Alumni Awards recipients
Barry J. Bowman, Terri McCullough, Daniel (Nane) Alejandrez, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, and Aviv Elor are the recipients of the 2025 UC Santa Cruz Alumni Awards.

DESI collaboration to receive 2026 Berkeley Prize from AAS
The American Astronomical Society award recognizes the potentially paradigm-shifting work of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration

Meet the People
From faculty and researchers to staff and graduate students, our people are the engine which drives the incredible research and education across our state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories.
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