Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Consistently ranked in the top 10 worldwide for space science, UC Santa Cruz is known for breakthrough discoveries on explosive phenomena in the cosmos, the origins of gravitational waves, stellar and planetary structure, the secrets of potentially habitable exoplanets, and all aspects of observational, optical, and infrared astronomy. If you’re looking to study high-impact space science, we’re the premier experts for developing unprecedented technologies that lead humanity deeper into space, allow scientists to see sharper images, and enable researchers to analyze big data more efficiently.

Our Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics designs many of the world’s most powerful space technologies and telescopes. Our invention of segmented mirror technology shattered previous limits on telescope size and is said to have had “the biggest impact in optics after Newton.” Our scientists developed the laser guide star technology for adaptive optics (taking the twinkle out of the stars). They designed the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometric camera, and the Keck Telescopes in Hawaii. Oh, and we determined how to fix the flawed optics on the Hubble Space Telescope. We're a leading partner in the NASA explorations using the Kepler planet-finding telescope and the Cassini mission to Saturn. The list goes on