Astronomy

Measurements flow in every day from satellites in space and from observatories all over the world. Students on the MSc in Astronomy programme are actively involved in research and in the discussion of new discoveries and theories. They study new planets orbiting other stars, examine the structure and development of the stars through seismological studies, and explore the earliest stages of the development of the universe, working with computer modelling or measurements from state-of-the-art telescopes and satellites.

RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION

Teaching on the astronomy programme is greatly influenced by research, both in the courses and the thesis work, as the lecturers are active researchers. In this context, students benefit from the down-to-earth, informal relationship between the academic staff and students. Each student is associated with a group of researchers for their thesis work in year two, and there is wide scope for specialisation, both within the Department of Physics and Astronomy and (thanks to the department’s close collaborations with other centres) with researchers from the European Southern Observatory, the European Space Agency, and NASA