Exploring the universe and advancing the frontiers of human knowledge.
- Leads research that contributes to UT Austin’s ranking in space science as 4th among US public universities and 10th worldwide
- Conducts world-renowned research in frontier areas of astronomy
- One of the largest premier undergraduate and graduate astronomy programs in the nation
- Provides research-centered innovative undergraduate education
- Major partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope, one of the world’s largest next generation telescopes.
- Leads the the Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) to explore the nature of dark energy.
- Home of McDonald Observatory, hosting world-class telescopes and 60,000 annual visitors.
- Home of StarDate radio, tuned in to by 2.1 million people daily.
The Department of Astronomy's mission is to advance the frontier of human knowledge and share it with future generations. It actively engages students in the journey of scientific exploration and leads frontier research in cosmology, galaxy formation and evolution, stellar evolution and star formation, exoplanetary systems, and the Solar system. Its research contributes to UT Austin’s ranking in space science as 4th among US public universities and 10th worldwide. It is a major founding partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope, one of the world’s largest next generation telescopes. It is home to McDonald Observatory, which hosts cutting-edge telescopes, instrumentation, and a renowned education and public outreach program.
Students
128 Undergraduate (Fall 2019)
31 Graduate (Fall 2019)
Faculty
23 faculty
23 research scientists, fellows and associates
20 postdoctoral fellows
1 Nobel Prize in Physics
3 Members of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers
3 Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards
2 NSF Early Career Development Grant Awards
6 Alfred P. Sloan Fellowships
1 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering
1 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award
Research
Research covers frontier areas, such as cosmology, galaxy formation and evolution, stellar evolution and star formation, exoplanetary systems, and the Solar system.
