Department of Astronomy

The College of Arts & Sciences is home to many distinguished researchers, faculty, and students. Their work and contributions have been featured in media outside of the UW and across the country. Take a look at some ArtSci features from this past Autumn Quarter. With everything from AI to Orca whales, ArtSci people and research in the media has something for everyone.

University of Washington scientists recently discovered that the giant 'conveyer belt' currents that push star-forged material out of our galaxy and pull it back in can also transport carbon atoms. That means that a good deal of the carbon here on Earth, including the carbon in our bodies, likely left the galaxy at some point!

If there’s a hidden world in the solar system, a new telescope should find it. Mario Jurić, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Since 2018 the Zwicky Transient Facility, an international astronomical collaboration based at the Palomar Observatory in California, has scanned the entire sky every two to three nights. As part of this mission, the ZTF's Bright Transient Survey has been counting and cataloging supernovae — flashes of light in the sky that are the telltale signs of stars dying in spectacular explosions.

The College of Arts & Sciences welcomes students and their families to connect with faculty and staff, learn about a variety of topics, and explore our spaces throughout Family Weekend.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope in Chile has now been equipped with all three of its mirrors, plus a camera for good measure. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted. The UW's Željko Ivezić and Mario Jurić, both professors of astronomy, are mentioned.

Thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit are still lighting up the sky, frustrating astronomers. Meredith Rawls, a research scientist of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

When an orca hunts salmon, it clicks and buzzes. It sends a beam of sounds from its nasal passages into the murky depths in hopes that the sound waves will bounce back and reveal the location of its next nutritious meal. Those hopes are often dashed when noise from passing vessels drowns out orcas’ sonar signals. Jennifer Tennessen, senior research scientist at the UW Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, is quoted.

Using machine learning, UW scientists managed to confirm that galaxies in denser regions of the universe can be as much as 25% larger than galaxies with a similar mass and shape in less dense regions. Aritra Ghosh, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

NASAâs upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will look for âfossilsâ of galaxy formation by conducting high-resolution imaging studies. Through a grant from NASA, astronomers are designing a set of possible observations called RINGS â the Roman Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey â that would collect these images, and the team is producing publicly available tools that the astronomy community can use once Roman launches and starts collecting data.

New research shows that galaxies in denser parts of the universe are usually larger than those that are more isolated. Aritra Ghosh, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

A new study has found galaxies with more neighbors tend to be larger than their counterparts that have a similar shape and mass, but reside in less dense environments. In a paper published Aug. 14 in the Astrophysical Journal, the team, which used a machine-learning algorithm to analyze millions of galaxies, reports that galaxies found in denser regions of the universe are as much as 25% larger than isolated galaxies. The findings resolve a long-standing debate among astrophysicists over the relationship between a galaxyâs size and its environment, but also raise new questions about how galaxies form and evolve over billions of years.

This weekend, NASA said to keep your eyes peeled for the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower runs from July 14 through Sept. 1, but will peak on the night of Sunday, Aug. 11. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

Beginning next year, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will use the world’s largest digital camera to give us a whole new view of the universe. Mario Jurić, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

The 2023-24 Honors Excellence in Teaching Award goes to Dr. Oliver Fraser, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Astronomy.