Astronomy
Study the planets, moon, stars, galaxies, even the origin of the universe itself, with flexible undergraduate and graduate astronomy programs.
Academic Highlights: UMass Amherst is the sole public institution in New England offering astronomy at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) is a member of the multi-observatory Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project that successfully imaged the shadow of the event horizon of the supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy M87. The efforts of UMass Amherst astronomers, students, and engineers were critical to building and fielding the EHT instruments for LMT.
Research Areas: Topics include understanding the beginning of the universe, birth and life of galaxies through cosmic time, ecology of galaxies, the universe in X-rays, the lives of stars from nurseries to black holes, comets as probes of the early solar system, and interstellar chemistry and the origins of life.
Degrees: BA, BS, PhD; part of the Five-College Astronomy program
People:
- Tenure-track faculty: 11
- Research faculty: 2
- Postdoctoral fellows: 7
- Graduate students: 22
- Undergraduate majors: 118
Research Awards: more than $2M
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In the news
CNS Astronomer Helps Find Proof of a Persistent Black Hole Shadow
Gopal Narayanan and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration recently released new images of M87*.
New Doc Highlights UMass's Work on JWST's Imaging of 'Pandora’s Cluster'
"Deep Sky," a documentary about the sights captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), opened at the Boston Museum of Science's IMAX dome screen.
Astronomy Graduate Student Amanda Lee Contributes to Research on Star Formation
Lee is part of a team of astronomers tackling a persistent question: where do stars come from, and how/why do stars form at the far edges of galaxies?
Contact
Daniela Calzetti
Distinguished Professor
Daniela Calzetti is the department head and a professor in the Department of Astronomy.
