Research in the Astronomy Department is both theoretical and observational in nature. The observational work covers the entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma-rays. A wide variety of national observatories, satellites, and supercomputers are used on a guest investigator basis. Department research falls naturally into a number of groups, described below. Members of the department are typically involved with more than one group.

• Center for Theory and Computation (CTC)
• Center for Research and Exploration in Space and Science Technology (CRESST II)
• Joint Space-Science Institute (JSI)
• Center for Planetary Origins (CPO)
• Lab for Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (LMA)
• Extragalactic Astronomy Group
• Planetary Astronomy Group
• High-energy Astrophysics Group
• Space and Plasma Physics Group

In addition to the above groups, some individuals on the professorial faculty pursue their own research programs.

The Department of Astronomy maintains several cooperative research agreements with NASA'S Goddard Space Flight Center which is about 5 miles from the University of Maryland College Park campus. These agreements allow our faculty and graduate students to participate in a wide variety of space physics and astronomy research projects. Many of these are satellite-based projects in high-energy astrophysics, X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, cosmic-ray physics, and solar system astrophysics. Others involve work on space exploration missions which are visiting other solar system bodies.

Other External Partnerships:

• Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur

Other Research-related Links:

• Software Development - Software developed and maintained by the members of the Astronomy Department
• Research Powerpoint - Powerpoint presentation about departmental researchers.
• Annual Reports (1994-2002) - Includes a summary of research in UMD Astronomy during those years.