Academic Programs in Astronomy and Astrophysics

[Astronuc]

Department of Physics and Astronomy
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA

If you are interested in why the physical universe is the way it is, and if you have good math skills, you might consider majoring in physics. Physics majors study the nature of matter and energy, from subatomic particles to the far reaches of the universe. They learn how an understanding of physics forms the basis for explaining many phenomena in other natural sciences, all of which ultimately are based on physics. Physics also underlies many developments in technology including lasers, transistors, magnetic resonance imaging, and even the World Wide Web.

Physics students take a variety of generalized and specialized courses to meet their own interests. Many have the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty doing exciting research at the forefront of physics and astronomy. Careers for students with physics degrees can be in physics itself (if they pursue a graduate degree), or in a range of other areas including astronomy, computers, engineering, patent law, medicine, science writing or reporting, and teaching.

Our lab and computer facilities are available to students needing specialized software and guidance in their studies and research. The department, which is chaired by Maria Dworzecka, is located in the Science and Technology I building on Fairfax Campus.

[Astronuc]

The Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii conducts research into galaxies, cosmology, stars, planets, and the Sun. Its faculty and staff are also involved in astronomy education, and in the development and management of the observatories on Haleakala and Mauna Kea.

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/

What a cool place to go and watch stars - and learn about them too! 

 

[Astronuc]

The Deparment of Astronomy and Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona

http://www.as.arizona.edu/

http://www.as.arizona.edu/department/ - courses

Department of Planetary Sciences
Lunar & Planetary Lab at U of Arizona
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/

[Astronuc]

The Institute of Astronomy is part of the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry within the School of the Physical Sciences of The University of Cambridge.

[Astronuc]

The Department of Physics in the College of Science and Engineering at Edinburgh is a world-class centre, with the 5th largest body of researchers in the UK.

The School of Physics comprises Physics & Astronomy, the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre and the National E-Science Centre. Excellent teaching and research in physics are complemented by world-leading high performance computing technology.

[Astronuc]

The Department of Astronomy (University of Maryland, College Park) has the mission of achieving excellence in research, teaching, outreach and service in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics. We maintain internationally recognized theoretical, observational, and computational programs that cover the entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays and address fundamental questions on all scales from our solar system to the entire cosmos.

While we view astronomical research as the preeminent part of our mission, the other components are of great importance to us. Both our graduate and undergraduate curricula are continuously revised and updated, and our Observatory Open Houses have been enjoyed by the public for over 30 years.

[Astronuc]

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee -

The University of Tennessee Department of Physics and Astronomy is a large, diverse department of approximately 40 full and part-time faculty, 60 research professionals and postdoctoral associates, 70 graduate students, 40 undergraduate physics and engineering physics majors, and 25 research and support staff members. The faculty has a strong commitment to quality graduate and undergraduate education while maintaining close research relationships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and several other facilities around the world.

The physics department strives to balance quality education with outstanding research. The spectrum of our courses ranges from introductory physical science and astronomy classes for non-science majors to advanced courses for graduate students. All of our students have the opportunity to use a wide range of technology and Web-based options while learning about the physical world. We also sponsor an extensive public service program of astronomy observations and presentations for local school systems, including the Teachers Resource Distribution Center.

[Astronuc]

Department of Astronomy - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Over forty years ago on October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first man-made earth satellite. The U of I Astronomy Department, then consisting of four professors (McVittie, Wyatt, King and Swenson) was quick off the mark in exploiting that research opportunity. On that first night an improvised radio interferometer was built in the space between the Morrow Plots and the Observatory, with receiving and recording equipment in the basement. Within two days an ephemeris was communicated to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Naval Research Laboratory, and on November 9 a precise ephemeris was published in Nature. This paper was the first observational publication of the U of I Observatory in the "modern" era, and was the basis of NASA's definitive orbit (by Robert Jastrow) for Sputnik I.

This activity continued with subsequent Soviet and US satellites, generating a new program in ionosphere research which continues to today (in the ECE Department). It also attracted the first federally funded research program of the "new" Astronomy Department, possibly in the department's entire history, and established the creditability which made possible the funding for the radio astronomy program and the Vermilion River Observatory.

see more about the history at - http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/department/history.shtml

[Astronuc]

The School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham is one of the largest Schools of Physics and Astronomy in the UK, with a long tradition of world-class research. They achieved a grade five in the most recent (2001) Research Assessment Exercise.

The spirit of enthusiasm manifest in the research activities of our staff also infuses undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

Staff are active in a wide range of research fields including Astronomy, Condensed Matter Physics, Molecular Physics, Nanoscale Physics, Nuclear and Particle Physics, as well as Theoretical Physics and Medical and Radiation Physics. Courses in all of these topics (and many more) are available in our degree programmes, which are taught by internationally recognised experts. Our teaching is well respected, having been awarded 23 (out of 24) in the last assessment.

http://www.ph.bham.ac.uk/

Astrophysics and Space Research Group - http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/

[Astronuc]

The Program in Extragalactic Astronomy (PEGA) at Georgia State University concentrates upon the astrophysics of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Observational efforts are led by Dick Miller (ground-based photometry and space-based high-energy observations) and Mike Crenshaw (ground- and space-based spectroscopy), while Paul Wiita concentrates on theoretical models.

http://www.chara.gsu.edu/PEGA/index.html

Far Out!  Or perhaps that's, Way Out! 

 

[Astronuc]

Universit?ts-Sternwarte M?nchen (University Observatory Munich)
Ludwig Maximilians University


http://www.usm.uni-muenchen.de/index_en.php (in English)
http://www.usm.uni-muenchen.de/index.php (auf Deutsch)


AKTUELLES (Apr 2006)
Hubble ersp?ht r?tselhaften "Sternenpfannkuchen" 


Ein Team unter der Leitung von Ralf Bender (USM) und John Kormendy (University of Texas) hat mit dem Hubble Space Telescope eine ungewoehnliche blaue Sternscheibe im Zentrum in der Andromeda-Galaxie entdeckt. Obwohl die Existenz eines blauen Lichtflecks seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt bekannt war, wurde erst jetzt seine Struktur entschluesselt.


Hot Topic (Apr 2006)
Hubble Finds Mysterious Disk of Blue Stars Around Black Hole 
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have identified the source of a mysterious blue light surrounding a supermassive black hole in our neighboring Galaxy (M31). Though the light has puzzled astronomers for more than a decade, the new discovery makes the story even more mysterious.


Research Areas
 Plasma Physics
 Computational Astronomy
 Extragalactic Astronomy
 Cool Stars
 Hot Stars and Stellar Winds


Wendelstein Observatory 
http://www.wendelstein-observatorium.de:8002/wst/wst_en.html (in English)


Das Wendelstein-Observatorium 
http://www.wendelstein-observatorium.de:8002/wst/wst.html (auf Deutsch)

[cassiopeiae]

The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA - Physics and Astrophysics Program
http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/

Areas of Research:
http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/graduate/astronomy.html

Our astronomical research ranges from the innermost solar system to the most remote galaxies. We use radio telescopes to observe radio galaxies and quasars; we use both X-ray and radio telescopes to observe the galactic center; and we use spacecraft to observe the planets and solar system. Our theorists study stellar winds, the solar corona, accretion disks, astrophysical turbulence, and the interstellar medium. Students hone their speaking skills in our weekly space and astrophysics seminar.

We have recently added faculty members and broadened the range of research opportunities that we offer in astronomy. Our students use major observatories, and many of them spend a period of residence at national radio observatories. With our instruments on major spacecraft, we are one of the few departments in the U.S. that offer students significant opportunities for spacecraft exploration of the solar system. We are also one of the few departments with its own robotic observatory, which is located in Arizona. Our PhDs are successful in finding research careers at national observatories, laboratories, and universities. Our theorists include leaders of the newly-formed Plasma Astrophysics topical group of the American Physical Society.

In addition, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids both have flourishing Astronomy Clubs so one can access a (small) observatory if they are a member.

[Astronuc]

University of Sussex, UK
http://astronomy.sussex.ac.uk/ 

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/space-science/ 

from the Study Abroad Program
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/publications/sabroad2006/courses/Physics%20and%20astronomy/12790

This caught my attention -

Introduction to Astrophysics (F3156)

Course outline
Properties of the observed Universe
Physical laws relevant to astrophysics
The Solar System
Stellar structure and evolution
Galaxy properties
Cosmology and the Hot Big Bang

Learning outcome. 
At the end of the course, the successful learner will be able to:
1. describe a wide range of astronomical phenomena.
2. independently locate material relevant to particular astronomical topics.
3. make a basic description of physics as applied to some astronomical phenomena, and be able to attempt simple calculations relating to those phenomena.

Library
21st Century Astronomy, J Jester et al, Norton, 2002
Introductory Astronomy, K. Holliday, Wiley, 1999

Physics and Astronomy Course List
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/publications/sabroad2006/courses/Physics%20and%20astronomy

 

[Astronuc]

I should have thought about this earlier.  This place is in my neighborhood, more or less. 

http://physicsandastronomy.vassar.edu/

http://catalogue.vassar.edu/courses/astr/

[Astronuc]

University of Washington
Astronomy Department

http://www.astro.washington.edu/

http://www.astro.washington.edu/pages/outreachtools.html - Links and Outreach Programs

N-Body Shop

This interdisciplinary group led by Tom Quinn includes faculty and students from the departments of Astronomy and Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington.

We also are collaborating with the Parallel Programming Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on the development of Parallel tools for Cosmological N-body simulations

http://www-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/