The Astronomy Department is proud to host the Illinois Astrofest on April 2021. It is open to everyone in the campus community, but registration is required. More information is found here.
Astronomy at IllinoisWhy study Astronomy?
Featured StarETA LEO (η Leonis)
Distant Double Quasars Spotted by HubbleProfessor Yue Shen and his team used the Hubble Telescope to find double quasars. Read about it here
Prof. Charles Gammie and Students Release Image of Magnetic FieldProf. Charles Gammie and Physics graduate students George Wong and Ben Prather are part of the team that just released the first image of the magnetic field at the edge of the accreting disk that surrounds it.
Get InvolvedExplore research opportunities for graduate students
Emeritus Astronomy Professor Laird Thompson has a newly published book. The book reflects on cosmic voids and the journey to have his findings accepted. Read more about it.- The Department of Astronomy is sad to announce the passing of Professor Emeritus Lew Snyder. He was a big influence on the Department for 30 years, serving as the Director of the Laboratory for Astronomical Imaging for many years and as the Chair of the Department in 2002- 2005. The family has established the Lew Snyder Memorial Fund that will be used to support graduate students. You can donate...
More Department News
- Congratulations to Prof. Emeritus You-Hua Chu for being named an AAS Fellow! And congratulations to Illinois PhD alum (1984) John Hawley for also being named an AAS Fellow.
- We are happy to announce that the observatory roof will finally be renovated. The dome will be included, but we will keep it as original as possible. If you want to help with the Observatory renovations (plans include interior upgrades but we need help), consider donations to either the Department...
- Alum Dr. Dom Segura-Cox led a team that included Prof. Looney that discovered multiple rings and gaps in the disk of a young star. This is the youngest star that these structures have been seen in yet, suggesting that the conditions for planet formation are favorable at even younger times than...
- Congratulations to Di Wen who successfully defended his thesis on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
Calendar
Astronomy Picture of the Day
ASTR 100Learn the basic concepts of modern astronomy, from the Solar System to the Big Bang.
ASTR 210Survey of modern astronomy for students with background in physics.
ASTR 350Studies the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe, and the scientific tools used to study these issues.
