On February 22, 2020 a new 0.61-m telescope was installed in the campus observatory on the top of the Eyring Science Center. This is a new state-of-the-art PlaneWave CDK24 telescope. It is currently in the process of being commissioned to make it a fully robotic system. This telescope will support undergraduate student research, the observational astronomy class (Phscs 329), and potentially the descriptive astronomy class (Phscs 127). Early test targets will include transiting planet candidates from the NASA TESS satellite and pulsating variable stars.
News and Events
Get a deeper look into what has been happening at the New Microscopy Facility
Meet our department's new Part-Time Instructor, Hunter Standring
Celebrating Dr. Allred's retirement from 4 decades of teaching.
41 years of launches, demos, and unforgettable labs: Celebrating Dr. Grant Hart
Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne Inspires BYU Students with the Future of Gravitational-Wave Science
Four Decades Under the Stars: Honoring Dr. Mike Joner and the Legacy of West Mountain Observatory.
Connecting Experience to Opportunity: External Advisory Council Supports Career Pathways and Job Success for BYU Physics and Astronomy Students.
From Trapped Ions to Quantum Frontiers: Dr. AJ Rasmusson Launches Experimental Quantum Physics at BYU.
The university's new electron microscopy facility opened in fall of 2025, offering atomic-level imaging and student-led research.
Brian Anderson and his students celebrated BYU's 150th birthday by blowing out candles using high-intensity focused sound waves.
John Ellsworth received the 2025 President's Appreciation Award for his work in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.