News
WestFest Aims to Spark STEM Passion in Kids
The seventh annual WestFest event was held Saturday with the goal of igniting a passion for science in kids through interactive hands-on exhibits.
The initiative started as a way to bring…
Kiersten Boley sheds new light on strange lava worlds
Lava worlds, massive exoplanets home to sparkling skies and roiling volcanic seas called magma oceans, are distinctly unlike the planets in our solar system.
To date, nearly 50…
OSEP grants support innovation and Astronomy wins for WestFest and SciAccess
Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP), the university’s comprehensive energy management partnership, has announced 2023-24 grants for projects that advance access to STEM education for people with…
OSU Astronomy and Physics receive NASA grants to join Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Mission
Faculty, staff and students in the Departments of Astronomy and Physics will play a large part in NASA’s next large astrophysics mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman), expected to…
Michael Plummer is using cosmic weather to study which worlds could support life
Study uses new code to test next-gen telescope abilitiesAs the next generation of giant, high-powered observatories begin to come online, a new study suggests that their instruments…
Astronomers discover striking evidence of ‘unusual’ stellar evolution
Magnetic activity plays a key role in exoplanet habitabilityAstronomers have found evidence that some stars boast unexpectedly strong surface magnetic fields, a discovery that…
Elvira Cruz-Cruz Wins FINESST Research Grant
Astronomy graduate student Elvira Cruz-Cruz wins a FINESST research grant for her proposal and work with Professor Chris Kochanek. Congratulations to Elvira for her outstanding scientific work.…
Planet orbiting 2 stars discovered using new technique
Only the second such system found with 2 planetsAn international team of astronomers is the first to apply an old technique to discover a new type of planet that orbits two stars – what is known…
Harrison Blake wins Astronaut Scholarship
Congratulations to Harrison Blake for being awarded an Astronaut Scholarship. Harrison is a double major in Physics and Astronomy and Astrophysics. He has been working with Professor Chris Hirata…