The Etelman Observatory is the prime research facility for Astronomy and Environmental
Science studies. UVI Physics faculties, students, and researchers have the opportunity
to use the telescopes and computing facilities for research and scientific gathering.
During the summer, in particular, the Observatory hosts UVI physics students during
their research projects. You can see the work of the 2016 summer students here. Also, thanks to the available NASA funding for undergraduate research, some UVI
students had the opportunity to do an internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
(as part of the OSSI Initiative). You can see their testimony after the first three weeks here.
At the Etelman Observatory, we pursue three main lines of research:
Solar Physics
Researchers at the Etelman Observatory study the connection of the outer layer of
the Sun's atmosphere with the magnetic properties measured by a telescope on Earth
and satellites. The solar research group is lead by Dr. Brice Orange (from OWIS).
Astrophysics
Several astrophysical phenomena are studied at the Etelman Observatory directly with
the usage of the VIRT and other facilities in remote mode. In particular, Dr. Morris,
Prof. Gendre and Dr. Cucchiara focus their efforts on the study of Gamma-ray Bursts,
their progenitor and the galaxies where these tremendous explosions occur. Dr. Morris
has also set-up an X-ray laboratory on the UVI-campus for the characterization and
testing of X-ray instrumentation dedicated to future space missions. Prof. Gendre
is also the resident astronomer of the Observatory and it is in charge of the adequate
performances of VIRT.
Climate Change
Dr. Orange has set up a series of weather stations throughout the observatory and
will perform accurate measurement. This will be in conjunction with other remotely
accessible stations. Other UVI faculty members, like previous faculty member Dr. David
Smith, have been involved in this effort over the years. They seek help from other
scientists and volunteers in performing measurements and monitoring the correct functionality
of the weather stations.
Research Interns at UVI and Etelman Observatory - Summer 2016
