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Department of Physics and Astronomy News

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers comprehensive programs on two of the most basic and fundamental sciences–physics and astronomy. Physics is the study of matter, energy, motion, and force. Its concepts help us understand how the universe behaves. Astronomy studies the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere, including celestial objects and the formation and development of the universe.

Current Physics and Astronomy News

spring flowers
Campus News |

The rosiest headlines and highlights featuring the students and faculty of UNLV.

A UNLV student studies with the Strip in the distance.
Campus News |

Headlines and highlights featuring the students and faculty of UNLV.

UNLV XMAS
Campus News |

This month’s frosty headlines and highlights from the students and faculty of UNLV.

unlv pumpkins
Campus News |

A monthly roundup of the top news stories at UNLV, featuring the presidential election, gaming partnerships, and much more.

Undergrad researcher Benjamin Sabir helps H. Jeremy Cho examine an atmospheric water harvesting device. (Jeff Scheid/UNLV)
Campus News |

A monthly roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV staff and students.

Students pass by Lied Library as they walk campus on the first day of Fall 2024 semester classes
Campus News |

A collection of news highlights featuring students and faculty.

Physics and Astronomy In The News

EWTN

Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are being closely monitored by flight surgeons after spending nine months in space.

Daily Mail

The explosion of SpaceX's rocket Thursday night has sparked fears that NASA's stranded astronauts could be stuck in space for even longer, or worse. SpaceX has been tasked with finally bringing Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore home from the International Space Station (ISS) later this month.

Reader's Digest

It’s hard not to love the idea of escaping frigid weather and heading somewhere warm, maybe even tropical. That’s the stuff daydreams are made of. But the idea of flying in that weather? That’s less appealing—and maybe even concerning if you’re flying out in a snowstorm or subzero temperatures. Aside from stressing about delays and even cancellations, you might also be worried about flight safety and wonder, What temperature is too cold for planes to fly?

The Amish Inquisition Podcast

Join us this Sunday at 8.00pm UK time for an exhilarating episode of The Amish Inquisition! This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Physics Professor Michael Pravica as our special guest. Michael has taken the world by storm with his groundbreaking insights, following a feature in Popular Mechanics that delves deep into the enigmas of consciousness and hyperdimensionality.

WCBSFM: On-Demand Podcast

Foxx and Annie spoke with Professor Michael Pravica about the asteroid that is moving towards earth. He's a professor of physics and astronomy. Will the 2024 YR4 asteroid hit NYC?

Keyt

Science enthusiasts are closely watching asteroid 2024 YR4, the most hazardous asteroid ever detected.

Physics and Astronomy Experts

An expert in physics and chemistry.
An internationally recognized expert in astrophysics.
A physics professor, whose specialties include high pressure science, explosives, and high radiation flux.
An expert in astronomy, dark matter, and general physics.

Recent Physics and Astronomy Accomplishments

Jason Steffen (Physics and Astronomy) published a book, Hidden in the Heavens, with Princeton University Press. The book is about the NASA Kepler mission, which was instrumental in the discovery of over 5000 planets that orbit distant stars. Steffen was a member of the science team for that mission and was co-chair of one of the working groups.
Zhaohuan Zhu (Physics and Astronomy) has been awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and one from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), serving as Principal Investigator for all three. These grants will support his cutting-edge research in astrophysics and planetary science. The NSF Astronomy and…
Graduate student Simon Matin (Physics and Astronomy) was recently awarded a fellowship as part of the Nevada NASA Space Grant Graduate Fellowship program. This award recognizes Matin's accomplishments thus far and the strength of his proposed ongoing research work. The specific proposed project will simulate measurements of galaxies made with the…
During the spring 2024 semester, Yan Zhou (Physics and Astronomy) was invited to present his research on quantum sensors and information at: Center of Fundamental Physics colloquium, Northwestern University, February 2024. ECT (European Center for Theoretical studies in nuclear physics and related areas) workshop, Trento, Italy, March …
Bernard Zygelman (Physics and Astronomy) presented the April 9 Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI) seminar titled "Effective Magnetic Monopoles, Molecular Dynamics, and Holonomic Quantum Computing" in addition to the U. Pittsburgh Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) undergraduate colloquium, "The Second Quantum Revolution." Zygelman…
Ph.D. candidate Shangjia Zhang (Physics and Astronomy) has been selected as a 2024 NASA Hubble Fellow. The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program supports promising postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research that contributes to NASA Astrophysics, using theory, observation, experimentation, or instrument development.  Zhang's work was…