A student and a professor stand on top of the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center. A telescope is in front of them on a pedestal; a deep blue twilight sky is behind them.

Astronomy

Turn our observatory into your laboratory—explore the cosmos through hands-on research and collaborative discovery, and build lasting partnerships that reach far beyond our campus.

Meet Your Professors Visit Knox

The Knox observatory is on the right. Before it, a colorful sky shows stars and Northern Lights. In the foreground, shadows of students are visible.

Our Observatory: A Classroom Under the Stars

Our rooftop observatory is the heart of astronomy at Knox—a fully equipped research and teaching facility featuring a 17-inch PlaneWave telescope housed beneath a 16-foot dome, along with multiple portable telescopes, spectroscopic instrumentation, and CCD and CMOS imaging systems.

Students take the lead here: designing observing projects, collecting data on variable stars, exoplanets, and cataclysmic variables, and learning to calibrate, process, and interpret real astronomical observations.

A group of students stand with Professor Nathalie Haurberg in front of a large telescope.

Research Beyond Knox

Knox is an active member of the MACRO Consortium, a multi-institution partnership that shares telescope time, data, and expertise among liberal-arts colleges engaged in astronomical research.

Through this collaboration, our students contribute to observing campaigns alongside researchers. Many go on to present their work at regional and national conferences, often as co-authors on published studies.

This network gives Knox students access to large-scale research opportunities with the close mentorship that defines a Knox education.

Learn more about our MACRO Consortium

A student's hand is visible controlling a mouse, and three screens show stars and a globe.

Immersive Student Experiences

In and beyond the classroom, you’ll have opportunities to put physics and astronomy into practice:

Conducting observational projects from the rooftop observatory and with the MACRO Consortium
Participating in inter-institutional special topics and independent studies
Working with data from professional observatories and survey missions (e.g., TESS, ZTF, SDSS)
Building and calibrating instruments and optical systems in our lab spaces
Participating in summer research programs

Minor in Astronomy

Requirements Courses

Build a True Astrophysics Pathway

Students who combine the Astronomy minor with a Physics major receive the equivalent of an Astrophysics education—the same rigorous preparation offered by larger universities, but with the mentorship and hands-on experience that only Knox can provide.

You’ll gain the theoretical foundation of physics, the observational and computational skills of astronomy, and direct experience with instrumentation and data analysis. This combination prepares you well for graduate study in astronomy, astrophysics, or space science, as well as for careers in data analysis, engineering, and technology.

Where It Leads

Knox astronomy students graduate with a deep foundation in physics, analytical methods, and scientific computing—and with hands-on experience that stands out. Many continue into graduate programs in astrophysics, data science, and engineering; others apply their skills to instrumentation, teaching, and science communication.