Department of Astronomy

Eric Wilcots and Julie Davis look at the Southern African Large Telescope

Astronomy Professor Eric Wilcots and his graduate student, Julie Davis, look at the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) in Sutherland, South Africa.

Members of the public take in a nighttime view of the stars using Washburn Observatory vintage telescope

Members of the public take in a nighttime view of the stars using Washburn Observatory vintage telescope.

Our Mission

The UW-Madison Astronomy Department’s mission is to conduct cutting edge research and to offer students and postdocs the highest quality of education. We conduct research in diverse areas of astronomy, from the physics of stars to cosmology, in observation and theory, and through the construction of cutting edge instruments for our complement of telescopes. We pride ourselves in an inclusive, diverse, and friendly scientific environment.

The department consists of 150 members, with currently 18 faculty members, 8 scientists, 5 postdocs, and 33 graduate students. We offer an undergraduate major in Astronomy and Physics and graduate studies towards a Ph.D. in astrophysics. Regular seminars, group meetings and lunches, and many intra- and inter-department collaborations enrich the exchange of ideas that is vital to developing new ideas and to perfect scientific inquiry.

From a traditional strength in observational astronomy and space- and ground-based instrumentation, and a long history of first rate research in the study of astrophysical gases and the interstellar medium, the department is pursuing traditional as well as new avenues, with a recent emphasis on the observational and theoretical study of structure formation and the physics of stars.

This website, implemented in 2011, aims to convey some of the exciting science and the engrossing learning environment you can find at the UW-Madison Astronomy Department.

Make a gift

Upcoming Events in Astronomy

More events

News & Announcements

Congratulations to Adam Distler for being awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, as well as those in the department who received honorable mentions: Jenna Karcheski, Tayt Armitage, Max Kroft, Eli Sofovich, Erin Motherway, and Talia O’Shea.
Professor Melinda Soares-Furtado has been featured in OnWisconsin. Read the article here.
Professors Michael Maseda and Thomas Beatty have been featured in this L&S article about James Webb Space Telescope.
Ka Wai Ho was part of a team that just received a prestigious INCITE Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Read more here.

View all postings here

Astronomy Picture of the Day