If you take any astronomy class at Calvin, you’ll get to work with photographs from Calvin’s telescope and have an opportunity to discover an asteroid or a variable star. Want to go more in depth? Calvin's astronomy minor is a 21-hour program designed to complement a variety of majors. To prepare for a career in astronomy or astrophysics, you should complete a minor in astronomy and a major in physics.

* On the "Astronomy in the Southwest" January interim course, you will visit major telescopes throughout New Mexico and Arizona, visit major geological sites to study the history of our own planet and work with Calvin's own telescope in Rehoboth, New Mexico. * In a summer research project with a professor, you will gain hands-on experience studying an open-ended question on the frontiers of astronomy. Recent examples of projects: computer simulations of asteroid orbits, discovering new types of variable stars, and measuring the shapes of galaxies. Learn more » "One of my high school friends introduced me to Calvin and convinced me to visit the physics and astronomy department, and I was amazed by the wide range of opportunities for undergraduate astronomy students. Beginning in my first year at Calvin, I collaborated with physics and astronomy professor Larry Molnar on asteroid research, and that research continued and expanded throughout my Calvin career. I co-authored papers and gave presentations on our project, and in my senior year I traveled to Puerto Rico to present our work to an international audience at a planetary science conference. Calvin gave me the background and experience in physics that allowed me to apply to top graduate programs