Spotlight
Astrophotographer Captures Images of Now Extinct Comet
The Comet ISON is with us no more.
The 4.5 billion-year-old comet fell apart Thanksgiving Day as it traveled around the sun.
A School in the Sky: UA Science and Tucson Students
Seven-thousand feet above Tucson, and surrounded by the horizons, K-12 students are learning about the natural world and the night sky at the University of Arizona's UAScience Sky School at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter.
17th Marc Aaronson Memorial Lectureship
We are pleased to annouce that our 17th Marc Aaronson Memorial Lectureship has been awarded to Dr. Alice Shapley of UCLA. She will give a Steward/NOAO colloquium on Thursday, February 27, 2014, at 4:00pm, and the Aaronson Public Lecture on Friday February 28, at 7:30pm. She will be feted by Marianne Kun (Aaronson) and Marc’s daughter Jaimie on March 1.
The Aaronson committee has commended Dr. Alice Shapley "for her contributions to the study of how galaxies form in the early universe. Through her pioneering observations with large ground- and space-based facilities, Alice has transformed our understanding of the stellar populations, chemical abundances, kinematics, and feedback processes of galaxies at high redshift."
In order to create a fitting tribute to the memory of Marc Aaronson, his family, friends, and colleagues have established and privately endowed the Marc Aaronson Memorial Lectureship to promote and recognize excellence in astronomical research. The Lectureship and cash prize are awarded every eighteen months to an individual or group who, by his or her passion for research and dedication to excellence, has produced a body of work in observational astronomy which has resulted in a significant deepening of our understanding of the universe. Any living scientist is eligible for this award without consideration of race, sex, or nationality, although prime consideration is given to someone within 15 years of their Doctorate. Marc was 10 years past his doctorate when he died at age 36.
'Heaven and Hell' in the Serpent's Tail
Renowned University of Arizona astrophotographer and astronomy educator Adam Block has taken this photograph of glowing, colorful beauty shimmering behind a dark cloud of dust and gas in the constellation Serpens.
Fly Us Back to the Moon
In this guest column, UA astronomy professor Chris Impey reminisces about the "romance and ambition of space exploration 50 years ago." He laments the end of Earthlings' love affair with the moon but says a spate of upcoming efforts indicate that it is being rekindled.
New UA Astrobiology Book Asks the Big Questions
Are we alone in the universe, and what if we're not? A new book published by the University of Arizona Press and edited by UA scientists brings to the table the ethical and societal implications of encountering life elsewhere in the universe.Pages
For Public
Public events include our Monday Night Lecture Series, world-reknowned Astronomy Camp and Mt Lemmon Sky Center.
For Students
A good place to start if you want to become an undergrad major or grad student, or need to find our schedule of classes.
For Scientists
Find telescopes and instruments, telescope time applications, staff and mountain contacts, and faculty and staff scientific interests.
