President Martha Pollack with Astronomy faculty

An interdisciplinary approach to astronomical problems

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The department places strong emphasis on the participation of students in ongoing research projects and strives to foster an interdisciplinary approach to solving astronomical problems by maintaining strong ties with other departments. Many undergraduate and graduate alumni of Cornell astronomy have become leaders in the field.

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There are numerous ways to support our department. Click here to learn more about Friends of Astronomy, a group of Cornell Astronomy alumni and friends who work to encourage significant interaction between the department and our friends in the wider world.

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Astronomy News

Rectangular glass award set among model planets on a table

Changemaker Award goes to SPIF and Zoe Learner Ponterio

The Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways say Ponterio’s support “has been invaluable."

'I embraced my love of learning'

Laine Havens is majoring in astronomy and science & technology studies

'I've worked on a code-based project characterizing exoplanets'

Neal Jerome is an astronomy major.

A huge truck pulling an enormous container along a dirt road through a desert, with a snow capped mountain in the distance.

New high-powered telescope reaches Chilean peak

The first major component of the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) has arrived at its final home: the Cerro Chajnantor mountaintop, more than 18,000 feet above sea level.

Patches of dark blue, turquoise and orange scattered on a grid of black broken lines, with an oxagonal and a star-shaped line drawing next to it.

Clearest images yet of 380,000-year-old baby universe released

The new results confirm a simple model of the universe and have ruled out a majority of competing alternatives, says the research team.

"Image of the James Webb Space Telescope" Bing Image Search, accessed March 11, 2025

Cornell Astronomers Secure Over 350 Hours of JWST Cycle 4 Time for Groundbreaking Cosmic Research

Cornell astronomers have secured over 350 hours of JWST Cycle 4 observing time, contributing to groundbreaking research on exoplanets, planetary systems, and distant galaxies. Graduate student Elijah Mullens and postdoctoral researchers Ryan Challener and Lili Alderson earned key investigator roles,...

Person working on an enormous piece of equipment

Barrier-breaking astronomer graces a U.S. quarter

Immortalized in a series honoring notable women, Vera Cooper Rubin, MS ’51, is the first Cornellian ever featured on a coin.

Person speaking at a podium with an image of a planet in the background

Joseph Burns, emeritus professor, former dean of faculty, dies at 83

Joseph A. Burns, Ph.D. ’66, emeritus professor of engineering and astronomy, and a former vice provost and dean of the Cornell faculty, died Feb. 26 in Ithaca.

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