New ESC Weather Station

The new weather station (left) atop the Eyring Science Center

For decades, the BYU Physics and Astronomy Department has hosted a weather station on the roof of the ESC. Bryan Peterson was the station’s mastermind, carefully interpreting input data from a variety of sensors, conditioning analog and digital signals to record temperature, humidity, pressure, cloud cover, rainfall, and wind speed and direction. In fact, Bryan’s weather station detected a seismoacoustic wave generated by a volcano in Tonga in 2022, an atmospheric disturbance that started half a world away (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo7063).

Last year, the department upgraded the station. The new station has all the sensors integrated into a single unit, and it reports all the data digitally, through a convenient web interface. Students Matthew Schlitters and Ben Farley helped faculty members Michael Ware and Scott Bergeson replace the hardware. They climbed onto the ESC roof, scaled the weather station tower (with proper double-safety climbing gear), retired the old sensors, and installed the new station. Current and recent weather is available on the department web page and at https://physics.byu.edu/department/weather. Archival data is still available, and can be accessed through the same site.


News and Events

Image for Acoustics group studies the roar of SpaceX's Starship
Acoustics group studies the roar of SpaceX's Starship
Acoustics faculty and students measure the thunderous noise of the world’s most powerful rocket, exploring its impact on communities and the environment.
Image for Astronomers Discover New Course
Astronomers Discover New Course
This winter, ten students in BYU’s new “Advanced Planetary Astrophysics” taught by Darin Ragozzine course gained hands-on experience in planetary science research, mastering interdisciplinary skills to prepare for future careers in astronomy.
Image for Dr. Kent Gee Receives Top faculty Award
Dr. Kent Gee Receives Top faculty Award
Dr. Kent Gee has been named the recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award
Image for Drs. Davis and Vanfleet Receive Technology Transfer Award
Drs. Davis and Vanfleet Receive Technology Transfer Award
BYU Physics and Astronomy Professors Dr. Davis and Dr. Vanfleet recently received the 2024 award for outstanding achievement in technology transfer from the BYU Technology Transfer Office.
Image for New Acoustics Major
New Acoustics Major
The BYU Physics & Astronomy department recently introduced the Applied Physics: Acoustics degree.
Image for Chris Verhaaren Creates Particle Physics Class
Chris Verhaaren Creates Particle Physics Class
After 3 years of being offered as 513R, elementary particle physics is finally an official course and accepted for credit in the physics major!
Image for A Practical Scientist’s Field Guide to Dealing with Science and Religion.
A Practical Scientist’s Field Guide to Dealing with Science and Religion.
Dr. Michael Ware hopes to help students develop the skills to navigate discussion of science and religion
Image for Kent Gee Forum: Lessons from Noise, Crackle to Calm
Kent Gee Forum: Lessons from Noise, Crackle to Calm
This year’s Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Kent Gee, delivered his forum address on the science of sound and how he and BYU students have contributed to significant research in the acoustics industry.
Image for Campbell and Stokes Receive Crystallographic Association Award
Campbell and Stokes Receive Crystallographic Association Award
In July 2025, Drs. Branton Campbell and Harold Stokes (BYU Emeritus Professor) will receive the Kenneth N. Trueblood Award from the American Crystallographic Association for exceptional achievement in computational crystallography.
Image for New ESC Weather Station
New ESC Weather Station
A group of undergraduate students braved the heat and heights of the ESC roof to install a new weather station. The station is up and running, and will hopefully record data for years to come.
Image for Study analyzes distant Kuiper Belt object with NASA's Hubble data
Study analyzes distant Kuiper Belt object with NASA's Hubble data
Using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a new study suggests that an object previously thought to be a binary system may be a rare triple system of orbiting bodies.
Image for BYU’s Rising Astronomers Take Center Stage at the Winter AAS Conference
BYU’s Rising Astronomers Take Center Stage at the Winter AAS Conference
In early January 2025, a group of 16 students from Brigham Young University’s Physics & Astronomy Department showcased their research at the prestigious American Astronomical Society (AAS) in National Harbor, Maryland.