Astronomy

UC is the only university in Aotearoa New Zealand to offer the study of Astronomy at all levels.

Te Kura Matū | School of Physical and Chemical Sciences has an exciting programme of teaching and research, often using state-of-the-art facilities as part of its core work. These include:

• field stations for meteor and atmospheric research, which are located at Te Mata Hāpuku Birdlings Flat, and at Scott Base, Antarctica
• an internationally important astronomical observatory at Ōtehīwai Mount John, Takapō Tekapo, equipped with computer-controlled instruments and cryogenic detectors
• UC-constructed Hercules, a high resolution spectograph to search for planets and do improved stellar astrophysics.

The School collaborates nationally and internationally as well. For example, we have a collaboration with Nagoya University in Japan, who installed a 1.8 metre telescope at Ōtehīwai Mount John for finding planets orbiting distant Milky Way stars.

The Ōtautahi Christchurch Aerospace Strategic Plan aims to make the city the centre of Aotearoa New Zealand's aerospace technology sector by 2025, which will extensively use UC's facilities and research programmes, and offer students internships and other entrepreneurial opportunities in the industry.

UC is ranked in the top 250 universities in the world for Physics and Astronomy (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2020).

Year 13 mathematics and physics are strongly recommended for ASTR 112 Astrophysics.

Certain courses require a background in Year 13 physics and calculus.

Students majoring in Astronomy acquire a wide range of skills, from the use of spectroscopic and photometric detector systems (and the analysis of the data obtained), through electronics and optics, to computer skills for analysis and interpretation of data. This produces a graduate who is well equipped to undertake employment not only in astronomy, but in any number of fields that require practical experience or that involve analysis of real data.

Studying Physics and Astronomy equips graduates with skills in problem solving, abstract thinking, evaluating, communicating, and decision making. It develops high levels of curiosity, inventiveness, and mathematical and computer competencies.

Graduates may follow traditional paths and work either as scientists, technicians, research assistants, engineers, astronomers, patent agents, technical authors, or even managers at an observatory or in an institute. However, many Astronomy graduates move into other fields, particularly computing and information technology, management, and science communication or media work. With some additional study, graduates can become meteorologists, geophysicists, material technologists, or medical physicists.

Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Astronomy.