Solving universal mysteries

Dr. Shashi Kanbur of SUNY Oswego’s physics department.

Looking above and beyond our planet is not just the realm of science fiction. By grasping the origins and size of the universe, we can better understand where we come from – and where we may be going.

Oswego's Shashi Kanbur is an internationally known expert in pulsating stars which have been used to determine the universe's size and age. Backed by funding from the NSF, Kanbur is helping design an autonomous robotic telescope that will capture target data, allowing researchers to collect night-to-night observations of fleeting phenomena from any place in the world.

Working with ground-based telescopes in Chile and Hawaii and the Hubble Space Telescope, students will get an up-close look at deep space and will make observations pertinent to cutting-edge astrophysics discussions such as the extra-galactic distance scale.

By taking part in astronomical calculations, student researchers can truly take part in an out-of-this-world experience. Collaborating with talented faculty from the National Center University in Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Italy, and South Africa, the astrophysics-focused Global Laboratory offers students an opportunity to study issues on the subatomic and cosmological scales.

Left: The Hubble Telescope peers into our distant past to tell us about our distant future.

Tomorrow's scientific leaders probe our connections to the world around us as well as potential bonds with other worlds.

Lulin Observatory, Taiwan, where students will have a chance to observe deep-space and extra-galactic distance scale.

The Hubble Telescope has been peering into the distant past in order for us to determine our near future.

Explore SUNY Oswego to learn more about the global laboratory and our passion for science.