Department of Astronomy

Admitted students and families can engage with the College of Arts and Sciences through several department and program specific events over the next few weeks.

Aliens might time their signals with a burst of supernova light. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is mentioned.

Starting in 2025, the Vera C. Rubin observatory will increase the number of known objects circling the sun by roughly tenfold, spotting new comets, exotic asteroids from other stars, and perhaps even the elusive Planet Nine. The UW's Mario Jurić, professor of astronomy, and Pedro Bernardinelli, postdoctoral fellow in astronomy, are quoted.

A proposal to build a far-flung set of radio antennas to measure the cosmos is one of 13 far-out concepts to receive seed funding from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, also known as NIAC. Matthew McQuinn, associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

From dark matter to planet-crushing asteroids, four ways the telescope could alter our understanding of the universe. Mario Jurić, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Astronomers with the International Astronomical Union are trying to understand how the brightness and transmissions of the BlueWalker3 satellite will interfere with Earth-based observations of the universe — and what can be done to minimize these effects as more of these satellites are launched.

A new satellite has become one of the brightest objects in the night sky, sparking concerns among scientists for the future of astronomy. Meredith Rawls, a research scientist of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

The American Geophysical Union announced Sept. 13 that five University of Washington faculty members have been elected as new fellows, representing the departments of astronomy, Earth and space sciences, oceanography, global health, and environmental and occupational health sciences.

Kick off the Autumn quarter and celebrate a return to campus with these can’t-miss recommendations from the College of Arts & Sciences.

A discovery like this could change how we think about life in this solar system by providing clues into how it operates in others. Peers question whether the evidence is sufficiently extraordinary to prove this extraordinary claim. Don Brownlee, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

A special algorithm designed to spot dangerous near-Earth asteroids appears to be so good it has spotted its very first one during an initial test. The UW's Mario Jurić, professor of astronomy, and Ari Heinze, research scientist in astronomy, are quoted.

A skyscraper-size asteroid was revealed in year-old telescope data thanks to a new algorithm that could change the way near-Earth objects are discovered. Mario Juric, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

A new technique for finding potentially hazardous asteroids before they find us has chalked up its first success. Ari Heinze, research scientist in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

An asteroid discovery algorithm — designed to uncover near-Earth asteroids for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s upcoming 10-year survey of the night sky — has identified its first “potentially hazardous” asteroid, a term for space rocks in Earth’s vicinity that scientists like to keep an eye on. The roughly 600-foot-long asteroid, designated 2022 SF289, was discovered during a test drive of the algorithm with the ATLAS survey in Hawaii. Finding 2022 SF289, which poses no risk to Earth for the foreseeable future, confirms that the next-generation algorithm, known as HelioLinc3D, can identify near-Earth asteroids with fewer and more dispersed observations than required by today’s methods. That is important because, though scientists know of more than 2,000 near-Earth asteroids, they estimate that another 3,000 await discovery!

A poem by alum Patricia Clark (BA, 1974), about a UW astronomy class she took 51 years ago, is now headed to the moon on a NASA flight.