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It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of David L. Pawelczyk Jr., 51, who passed away Wednesday, surrounded by his devoted family. Dave's high energy, unwavering dedication, and infectious passion left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
A planet survived its star’s death, James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal, offering clues to Jupiter’s fate after the Sun’s demise. Astronomers from Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences show that WD 1856 b migrated later and has methane-rich atmosphere.
Cornell College of Arts and Sciences faculty taught astronomy, writing, civics and other subjects to 18 active-duty and veteran service members visiting Cornell through the non-profit Warrior-Scholar project June 20-27.
Please join us October 12-13, 2026, for a "“Symposium on Planetary Regolith and Aeolian Processes: A tribute to the life and career of Rob Sullivan" at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The program will include public lectures, keynote speakers, and contributed talks.
For her volunteer outreach encouraging local children to learn about physics and reading, Abra Geiger ’26 has won the 2026 University Relations Campus-Community Leadership Award.
Researchers in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences report on the first observations with the Tomographic Ionized-carbon Mapping Experiment (TIME). The instrument uses a technique called line-intensity mapping to explore the early universe.
Together the Department of Astronomy and Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science represent one of the world’s leading institutes for space science with over 110 active researchers. Research emphases include cosmology, solar system exploration, exoplanet science, and fundamental astrophysics. Graduate students, early career researchers and undergraduates, are actively engaged in current NASA missions, NSF consortia, and CCAT-Prime/FYST. The department and center also run an extensive and robust outreach program to the broader community.
Since the early days of modern cosmic exploration, Cornell scientists have led the way, from guiding rovers through the red dust of Mars to searching for other life in the universe; and from modeling exotic stars to detecting the faint ripples of gravitational waves.
They’ve also established important centers of research, with the Cornell-led Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) in Chile poised to become the next innovator of cosmic discovery.
The Department of Astronomy is a leading center of astrophysics and planetary science research.
Visit CCAPS, the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science
The Astronomy Major at Cornell University is designed to be flexible so that it can be customized to the needs of each student.
Learn about the undergraduate program
Astronomy offers a wide variety of world-class research opportunities in astronomy, astrophysics and space science, with strong multidisciplinary connections, and a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
In the spirit of the renowned Cornell Professor Carl Sagan, the Department of Astronomy reaches beyond campus in numerous ways. The Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility (SPIF) is a repository of spacecraft data, a facilitator of research, and a hub for PreK-12 education and public outreach activities. Ask an Astronomer has been answering questions from the curious since 1997. The Cornell Astronomical Society conducts viewing nights at the Fuertes Observatory and offers educational programing to the public.