Research
Cutting-Edge Research and Collaborative Excellence
Our department combines leading research in observational astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, and instrumentation with a strong commitment to collaboration and education. Faculty and students work together to explore key questions in cosmology, galaxy formation, exoplanets, stellar evolution, and high-energy astrophysics, using world-class facilities and cutting-edge technology.
Research Areas
Exoplanets
A dynamic group of exoplanet scientists includes leading planet hunters, theorists, and instrument developers working to discover, observe, and understand planets beyond our solar system. The Other Worlds Laboratory brings together exoplanet and solar system scientists to make connections between distant planetary systems and our solar system.
Adaptive Optics
Pioneered the development of adaptive optics technology, which removes the blurring of telescope images caused by turbulence in the atmosphere. Research at the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics supports development of adaptive optics systems for major telescope projects such as TMT.
Big Data and Machine Learning
Our faculty lead and are engaged in the next big data projects of Astronomy — HSC/Subaru, LSST, DESI — and are advancing machine learning algorithms to glean the science them.
Supercomputing
We have large group of faculty in computational astrophysics exploring fundamental questions in astrophysics through the use of supercomputers at UC Santa Cruz.
Cosmic Contributions
UCSC Astronomy and Astrophysics faculty are heavily involved with NASA “flagship” space-borne observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Instrumental Facilities
UC Santa Cruz is the headquarters of the University of California Observatories (UCO), which operates the Lick Observatory, W. M. Keck Observatory, and is the center for UC participation in the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT) project.