Astronomy departments in the University of Cambridge
Encyclopedia
The University of Cambridge
has three large astronomy departments as follows:
The Kavli Institute for Cosmology at Cambridge (KICC) is operated jointly by these three departments.
The first astronomical observatory at the University of Cambridge was built at the top of Trinity College
gatehouse in 1704.
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
has three large astronomy departments as follows:
- The Institute of AstronomyInstitute of Astronomy, CambridgeThe Institute of Astronomy is the largest of the three astronomy departments in the University of Cambridge, and one of the largest astronomy sites in the UK...
, concentrating on theoretical astronomy and optical, infrared and x-ray observations - The Cavendish Astrophysics GroupCavendish Astrophysics GroupThe Cavendish Astrophysics Group is based at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. The group operates all of the telescopes at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory except for the 32m MERLIN telescope, which is operated by Jodrell Bank.The group is the second largest of three...
, concentrating on radio and submillimetre observations and instrumentation, observational cosmology and all aspects of astronomical interferometryInterferometryInterferometry refers to a family of techniques in which electromagnetic waves are superimposed in order to extract information about the waves. An instrument used to interfere waves is called an interferometer. Interferometry is an important investigative technique in the fields of astronomy,...
, and operating the Mullard Radio Astronomy ObservatoryMullard Radio Astronomy ObservatoryMullard Radio Astronomy Observatory is home to a number of large aperture synthesis radio telescopes, including the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager... - The Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical PhysicsFaculty of Mathematics, University of CambridgeThe Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge comprises the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics . It is housed in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences site in West Cambridge, alongside the Isaac...
and Isaac Newton InstituteIsaac Newton InstituteThe Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences is an international research institute for mathematics and theoretical physics. Part of the University of Cambridge, it is named after one of the university's most illustrious figures, the mathematician and natural philosopher Sir Isaac Newton....
in the Faculty of Mathematics, include theoretical astronomy and cosmology amongst other disciplines
The Kavli Institute for Cosmology at Cambridge (KICC) is operated jointly by these three departments.
History
Although Astronomy has been taught at the University of Cambridge since medieval times, the departmental structure has changed frequently, and all three of departments listed above were founded within the last two centuries.The first astronomical observatory at the University of Cambridge was built at the top of Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
gatehouse in 1704.