About Us
Since its inception in 1856, the University of Michigan Department of Astronomy has been one of the leaders in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics.
The department offices are located at:
830 Dennison Bldg. 500 Church St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042 (734)764-3440 fax: (734) 763-6317
To contact an individual in the department, see our directory
News, Events and Public Information
UofM astronomers regularly make new and exciting discoveries. You can read about some of them on our News Page.
Find out about regular and special events on our Events page.
Most of these events are directed toward professional in astronomy and related fields. However, we also have an active public engagement program, including public open houses, an outreach program for schools and community groups, and public lectures. We are an active department, with a lot going on.
History
The first President of the University of Michigan, Dr. Henry Philip Tappan, was inaugurated in 1852. His vision for higher education was to complement the classical course with a scientific course. The Detroit Observatory was conceived of in 1852 and the building was completed in 1853. This was the first observatory in the midwest, and established the first science department at the University of Michigan.
The Department of Astronomy at the University of Michigan has been active since 1856, and operates observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres. For more information about our observing programs, please visit our observatories page.
We have not stood still for the past century and a half. From computer modeling to space telescopes, our department members continue to be on the cutting edge of astrophysical research. Learn more about our current research programs on our research pages.
Members of the department, both past and present, are encouraged to share their memories of people and places in Michigan Astronomy. This page is still relatively new, so please send contributions along to astroweb-at-umich.edu.
