News and Events
The public is invited to observe sunrise and sunset of the longest day of the year among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Friday June 21 at 5:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. UMass Amherst astronomer Stephen Schneider will explain the astronomical cause of the solstice at the hour-long gatherings and answer questions.
More info: www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/gatherings.html
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/380421392601595/
Please contact Janet Lathrop with any questions: 413/545-2989; jlathrop@umass.edu
Please join us Wednesday, June 12, at 1:00PM for Brandt Gaches’ Dissertation Defense, “The Impact of Protostellar Feedback on Astrochemistry” in LGRT 1033. There will be a small reception in after the event.
Congratulations to our colleague Robert Gutermuth on his promotion to Associate Research Professor!
We are excited to welcome this year's undergrad FCAD summer research assistants. The program officially starts Monday 5/20, with a welcoming reception at 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. in the new lounge (Lederle Tower 531)!
We are offering three asynchronous, online summer courses, beginning Monday, May 20 to Friday, June 28th.
- ASTRON 100: Exploring the Universe, 4 Credits
- ASTRON 101:The Solar System, 4 Credits
- CANCELLED ASTRON 330: Topics In Astrophysics, 3 Credits
This Thursday afternoon (May 9, 4pm in LGRT 1033), a special guest panel from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team will present the first picture of a black hole in a series of short talks followed by Q&A. Panelists include: Lindy Blackburn (CFA), Dominic Pesce (CfA), and Sara Issaoun from (Radboud U). The panel will be hosted by Gopal Narayanan (UMass Amherst).
Congratulations to 2019 Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipients: Zoe Kearney (UMass Amherst), Kenneth Lin (UMass Amherst), Ryan McMillan (Amherst College), and Olivia Cooper (Smith College). Goldwater Foundation Scholarships are awarded to sophomore or junior students who intend to persue a research career in natural science, mathematics or engineering.
Congratulations to Professor Peter Schloerb, who won the 2019 College of Natural Sciences Outstanding Service/Engagement Achievement Award! A complete list of Astronomy faculty awards can be found here.
Gopal Narayanan and Peter Schloerb coordinated the "Event Horizon Telescope" (EHT), essentially turning the Earth into a giant telecope by coordinating observations from sites in Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, the South Pole, Chile, and Spain. The Large Millimeter Telescope.
Kenneth Lin, a junior majoring in Physics and Astronomy (BS), won the 2019 William F. Field Alumni Scholars Award. The Field Scholarship is awarded to outstanding junior students by the University and the UMass Alumni Association. Kenneth's research interests include galaxy evolution, AGN, and spectroscopy. He is curretly a Research Assistant with Professor Alex Pope's group
