Astronomy and Planetary Sciences

Program Overview

Welcome to Hartwick Astronomy and Planetary Sciences

Why Study Astronomy and Planetary Sciences at Hartwick?

You want to study what lies beyond Earth. You imagine yourself steering a radio telescope or observing the most powerful explosions in the Universe.

Here’s why our astronomy and planetary sciences program stands out:

• Dive into studies on planets beyond our solar system and apply cutting-edge discoveries in the search for life beyond our solar system.
• Explore the night sky through our on-campus observatory or gain exclusive access to the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.
• Sharpen your research expertise by working with large data sets and coding programs to drive innovation.

Where Will Your Hartwick Astronomy and Planetary Sciences Minor Take You?

A Career:

Gerald Murello ’18 is a field service engineer at Weibel Scientific in Yuma, Ariz. Combining his astronomy and planetary sciences minor with a physics major, he handles continuous wave doppler radar assembly, training, operations, troubleshooting and maintenance for civilian and military radar systems.

Pair With:

• Pair with physics to launch your career in aerospace engineering or nanotechnology.
• Pair with biology to deepen your expertise in neuroscience.
• Pair with chemistry to unlock opportunities in materials science.

What You’ll Learn

• Work in collaborative teams, apply scientific methods to real data and give clear presentations to other professionals at national conferences.
• Explore planetology and modern astronomy, and take advanced directed studies in extragalactic radio astronomy.
• Partner with faculty members on National Science Foundation-funded research in collaboration with the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team (UAT).

Faculty

Parker Troischt

Professor of Physics, Astronomy & Planetary Sciences Program Director and Department Chair

John Dudek

Professor of Chemistry