Department of Astronomy
Welcome to the Department of Astronomy at Harvard University
From the Department Chair
Located within the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.
Our department is young in spirit but has a century-old tradition of exceptional graduate students and faculty. Our teaching and research interests span the entire Universe with exciting observational and theoretical programs in cosmology, extra-solar planets, transients, star formation, black holes and high-energy astrophysics.
We are delighted to have you visit our vibrant academic home!
David Charbonneau
Fred Kavli Professor of Astrophysics
Harvard University
News
Astronomy Class of 2026 GSAS Graduates
The Astronomy Department congratulates our 2026 Class of doctoral graduates Vedant Chandra, Shelley Cheng, Hyerin Cho, Victoria DiTomasso, Jiwon (Jesse) Han, Osase Omoruyi, Sophia Sanchez-Maes, and Alexia Simon.
Congratulations to the graduating Astronomy astrophysics concentrators!
Congratulations to the graduating Astronomy astrophysics concentrators! Our seniors this year are: Bruna Biz, Hannah Burrows, Callie Garcia, Sol Gutierrez-Lara, Amaan Khwaja, Thomas Leeds, Sophie Magaro, Ashini Modi, Mekhi Moore, Jasmine Palma Gomez...
Goldberg Prizes awarded to Astronomy concentrators Larom Segev and Carl (Cal) Guia at end of year Awards Ceremony
The 2026 Goldberg Prizes awarded to Astronomy concentrators Larom Segev and Carl (Cal) Guia at end of year Awards Ceremony on May 26, 2026. Larom Segev won the senior Goldberg Prize for developing an automatic scheduler for the Rubin Telescope as it...
Vedant Chandra (GSAS, ’26) wins the 2025 Fireman Fellowship
The Astronomy Department is pleased to award the 2025 Fireman Fellowship to Vedant Chandra (GSAS, ’26), who was honored for the thesis "Mapping the Uncharted Horizons of the Milky Way." Advisor: Charlie Conroy The gift of Rita S. Fireman to the Harvard...
Hyerin Cho wins the 2026 ITC Keto Prize
The Astronomy Department congratulates Hyerin Cho for winning the 2026 Keto Prize from the ITC for the thesis " Black Hole Accretion and Feedback: From the Event Horizon to Galactic Scales" (Advisor: Ramesh Narayan). The Eric R. Keto Prize for Graduate...
Astronomy grads Adam Distler and Matthew Werneken win 2026 Hertz Fellowships
Astronomy grad students Adam Distler and Matthew Werneken were announced as winners of 2026 Hertz Fellowships, providing financial and lifelong professional support for the nation’s most promising doctoral students in the applied sciences, engineering and...
Three senior Astrophysics concentrators win 2026 Hoopes Awards
Congratulations to three Astrophysics concentrators on winning 2026 Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize for excellence in undergraduate work: Larom Segev for her submission entitled “Cloudy with a Chance of Data: A Dynamic Scheduler for AllSky Surveys with Real...
Beyond the Telescope: How Stars Shape Galaxies talk by Scott Lucchini and Alyssa Goodman
Beyond the Telescope: How Stars Shape Galaxies When: May 4, 7pm Where: Boston Museum of Science More Information and Registration Join astrophysicists Scott Lucchini and Alyssa Goodman on an expedition through the lives of stars and how they shape their...
Harvard astronomy seniors kick off careers with thesis presentations at the CfA
Cambridge, MA (April 27, 2026) — Six Harvard undergraduate astronomers presented their senior theses at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian this week, concluding a year of intensive training and hands-on research under CfA scientists. The...
Allyson Bieryla Named 2026 Shapley Visiting Lecturer
The American Astronomical Society has named Allyson Bieryla--Manager of the Astronomy Lab and Clay Telescope, as well as Assistant DUS in Astronomy--a 2026 Shapley Visiting Lecturer. In her role, Alyson will give a series of astronomy-themed lectures to...
