News/Events

Residing in the heart of a dwarf galaxy four billion light years away is a mysterious cosmological object producing bursts of energy that only last a few milliseconds. New research about this Fast Radio Burst (FRB) has revealed a rarely seen astronomical environment around its source, where magnetic fields twist, turn, and undulate over time. This is the first detection of a magnetic field reversal observed from an FRB, and the first time this behavior has been observed in another galaxy.

West Virginia has some of the darkest skies around, which often goes unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of our everyday life. The WVU Planetarium and Observatory has a special interest in preserving the beauty and clarity of the night sky.  

West Virginia students learn how to map the Galaxy to better understand our Universe.

Featured at the 241st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), Dr. Jason E. Ybarra led a session dedicated to discussing neurodiversity in astronomy, specifically addressing the challenges and opportunities in the field.

The Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology alongside the WVU Planetarium and Observatory presents the Indigenous Skies Graduate Fellowship.

The two-year fellowship with a 1-year possible extension, provides a $30,000 stipend per year with a $2000 travel allowance. The Fellowship provides support for the student to engage in self-directed Indigenous astronomy scholarship. Possible areas of study include but not limited to researching Indigenous astronomical knowledge and traditions of Eastern Woodland peoples (in collaboration with the WVU Native American Studies Program), investigating Indigenous research methods in application to astronomy and astrophysics, and partnering with K-12 schools in Indigenous communities to develop astronomy and physics educational materials that incorporate Indigenous language, knowledge, and perspectives. In addition, the student will collaborate with the WVU Planetarium on development of Indigenous skies show content, and participate in outreach activities in the planetarium and in the community.

Applicants must be admitted into the WVU Physics and Astronomy Graduate Program for the upcoming academic year. Applicants should have clear promise for outstanding performance in doctoral study and research. Native American U.S. citizens that are members or descendants of state or federally recognized tribes, and other Indigenous peoples are especially encouraged to apply.

The Department of Physics at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez (UPRM) received a 3-year award from the National Science Foundation's Partnerships for Research and Education in Physics (NSF PREP) Program for the total amount of $520,646. This award will fund a partnership between UPRM Physics and the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) Physics Frontiers Center (PFC). The Principal Investigator (PI) of this research and educational partnership is Dr. Henri Radovan (UPRM Physics), while the participating NANOGrav institutions include West Virginia University (co-PI and NANOGrav PFC co-Director Dr. Maura McLaughlin), University of Central Florida/Arecibo Observatory (co-PI Dr. Benetge Perera), Rochester Institute of Technology (co-PI Dr. Michael Lam), and Franklin & Marshall College (co-PI Dr. Fronefield Crawford). Other senior personnel at UPRM Physics include Dr. Erick Roura.

From the depths of space, astronomers have detected a “heartbeat.”  

The Southeastern Universities Research Association honored Dr. Maura McLaughlin, Director of the Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology with the SURA Distinguished Scientist Award.