Astronomy is the study of the origins, physics, and evolution of planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole. The principal pursuits of the astronomer are to extend our understanding of the physical nature of the universe and to convey this understanding to students and the general public.

Ohio State astronomers are engaged in research in a number of forefront areas, including searches for planets around other stars, gravitational lensing, the evolution of stars and galaxies, supermassive black holes, clusters of galaxies, the large-scale structure of the Universe, and the origin of the chemical elements in stars and the Big Bang.