News
MIfA Graduate Student received honorable mention for the Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize
Posted December 20, 2021
Cody Carr was voted into the top five out of 116 contestants.
UMN solar astrophysics research to get a boost from citizen science
Posted December 9, 2021
The latest Zooniverse citizen science project called “Solar Jet Hunter” will help benefit a small research team led by members of the School of Physics and Astronomy: former postdoctoral researcher Dr. Sophie Musset, Associate Professor Lindsay Glesener, and Professor Lucy Fortson.
Woodward part of research team that captures unique images of Io’s volcanoes
Posted December 7, 2021
Jupiter’s moon, Io, is one of the most volcanically active bodies in the solar system and yet, scientists have not been able to capture detailed images of volcanism and lava flows regularly. Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics Professor Charles “Chick” Woodward is part of a research team that was able to image four of Io’s volcanoes with greater detail than ever before from Earth-based observatories. Io is over 390 million miles from the earth and the images enabled the team to resolve and study surface features less than 2 kilometers in size.
The Big Picture: Rudnick helps lead effort that reveals the stormy weather in galaxy clusters
Posted November 22, 2021
Professor Emeritus Lawrence Rudnick of the Minnesota School of Astrophysics led the Technical Working Group of the MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS).
School part of national effort to improve representation for African Americans in physics and astronomy
Posted November 7, 2021
The School of Physics and Astronomy is participating in a set of implementation workshops hosted by the American Institute of Physics’ (AIP) Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP).
Roberta Humphreys on Luminous Blue Variables
Posted October 14, 2021
Professor Roberta Humphreys of the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics recently gave a colloquium that served as a primer on “some of the most interesting stars I know: luminous blue variables (LBVs)". Humphreys, College of Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor Emerita gave a plenary lecture on this topic at the 238th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
School Staff Member in the Great American Thinkoff
Posted October 14, 2021
Angela Stehr was one of four finalists to answer the question “Is it Better to Win or Play by the Rules?” in the Great American Thinkoff, held annually in New York Mills, MN. Stehr is a Program Specialist for the Minnesota Institute of Astrophysics and is a self-described “Thinkoff Groupie.”
Pryke leads research effort that improves constraints on Physics of Big Bang
Posted October 7, 2021
Professor Clem Pryke of the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics has recently published a paper using data from the BICEP/Keck experiments at the South Pole to refine models of the early expansion of the Universe after the Big Bang.
Now accepting applications to our graduate program
Posted October 5, 2021
The Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics is currently accepting applications for our graduate programs.
Local team selected by Air Force for space launch
Posted September 9, 2021
A team from the University of Minnesota Small Satellite Laboratory was selected in a competition to be one of three teams to have their small instrument, a cubesat, launched into space.