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Caltech
Department of Astronomy

Astronomy Homepage

The Astronomy Department at the California Institute of Technology is part of the Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy. The primary mission of our department is twofold: the performance of cutting-edge research in astronomy and astrophysics, including theory, observation, and experiment, as well as the education of undergraduate and graduate students and training of postdoctoral research associates who will comprise the scientists and leaders of tomorrow. We are located in the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics on the Caltech campus.

OVRO 40-meter radio telescope
Research Highlights
ZTF: Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar COMAP: the CO Mapping Array Pathfinder at OVRO SPHEREx Mission
Keck Observatory telescope domes
Observatories
OVRO Palomar Observatory W. M. Keck Observatory LIGO

Upcoming Events

All Events
January 21, 2026 12:15 pm

Caltech/IPAC Lunch Seminar

IPAC 102 (Large Conference Room)
Molecular Cloud Evolution in Nearby Galaxies as First Step for Galaxy Evolution and Star Formation
Jin Koda, Stony Brook University,
January 21, 2026 4:00 pm

Astronomy Colloquium

Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
Core-Collapse Supernovae in 3D: New Theoretical Insights
Adam Burrows, Professor, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University,
January 22, 2026 2:00 pm

Special TAPIR Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Modified Theories of Gravity, Parity, and the Dark Sector
Tatsuya Daniel, Postdoctoral Fellow, Trottier Space Institute, McGill University,
January 23, 2026 2:00 pm

TAPIR Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Waveform Systematics Across the Gravitational-Wave Spectrum: From LIGO to LISA
Aasim Jan, Graduate Student, Center for Gravitational Physics, University of Texas, Austin,
January 23, 2026 8:00 pm

Stargazing Lecture

Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics
"Simulating Galaxies, Stars, Planets, and Giant Black Holes on a Computer"
Phil Hopkins, Ira S. Bowen Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, Caltech,
January 28, 2026 4:00 pm

Astronomy Colloquium

Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
Galaxy Evolution in the Resolved Universe
Daniel Weisz, Associate Professor of Astronomy; Head Graduate Advisor, Astronomy Department, UC Berkeley,

Recent Publications

For a complete publications list, see feeds.library.caltech.edu