Welcome to the Department of Astrophysics!

This decade is one of the most breathtaking in astronomical research! Spectacular discoveries are being made by telescope on and above the Earth and upset some of our theories completely and are splendid confirmations of others. If you are interested in white dwarfs, neutron stars and radio pulsars, black holes and gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves, or Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays you will find more information about these topics on our website.

The “instruments” which we are using are High Energy Plasma Astrophysics, Particle Astrophysics, Cosmic MagnetoHydroDynamics, and, of course, modern telescopes such as those on La Palma (UK/NL collaboration), in Chile (European Southern Observatory, the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the Pierre Auger Observatory.

The department was founded in 2001, and is growing fast. We participate in NOVA, the Dutch Research School for Astronomy, a collaboration between the Dutch astronomical institutes, and in the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics at the Radboud University in Nijmegen.

We offer an astronomy program both at the Bachelor and Master level. The Bachelors program contains 56 ECTS in astrophysics over the first three years. Students are trained immediately from the start in the use of our Telescopes in Radboud University of Nijmegen. A particular emphasis is put on the interactiving education of students in small groups and using modern educational facilities and computer learning.

The department not only uses worldwide for its research but is also equipped with an extensive array of local telescopes: a brand new 35 cm reflector and our century-old 20 cm refractor, both equipped with CCD-cameras; a two-dish radio interferometer; and soon a solar telescope laboratory. Development of the students' individual creativity and interests are a central theme of our teaching.

Our Masters program specializes in High Energy Astrophysics, with possibilities in all educational master varieties: a Research master, an Educational master, or a Business&Management Master. All our Master students take part in an active observing program abroad.