Astronomy Department Calendar

Monday, February 9, 2026

• 

  Searching for Quasars as Strong Lenses in DESI DR1

  12:00 - 1:00 pm

  Astronomy Building

  • Seminar/Symposium

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

• 

  Protoplanetary Disk Chemistry as a Window into Planet Formation

  3:45 - 4:45 pm

  Astronomy Building

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar - Carolina Benone (UFPA)

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Krishna Rajagopal (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) "Hot and Cold Quark Soup Under Pressure

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Thursday, February 12, 2026

• 

  Alien Skies Under Active Suns

  3:45 - 4:45 pm

  Astronomy Building

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar - Abby Vieregg (UChicago, KICP)

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Subir Sachdev "Detecting a quantum spin liquid in the cuprate superconductors"

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Thursday, February 19, 2026

• 

  Computational Frameworks for Unveiling Planet Formation

  3:45 - 4:45 pm

  Astronomy Building

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar - Charuhas Shiveshwarkar (Ohio State U)

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Mark Saffman (University of Wisconsin) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

• 

  Exploring Cosmic Noon With Line Intensity Mapping

  3:45 - 4:45 pm

  Astronomy Building

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar - Fred Lamb (UIUC)

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Rafael Fernandes "Altermagnetism: an unconventional quantum state of matter"

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar - Sara Issaoun (Harvard, CfA)

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Jainendra Jain (The Pennsylvania State University) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Saturday, March 14, 2026

• 

  Spring Vacation Begins

  1:00 pm

  • Other

Monday, March 23, 2026

• 

  Instruction resumes

  7:00 am

  • Other

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar -

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Roni Harnik (Fermi Lab) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar -

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Gabriela Gonzalez (Louisiana State University) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar -

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: The Klaus Schulten Lecture - Elizabeth Villa "Discovering Chimallivirus biology with in-cell cryo-EM"

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar -

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Harold Hwang (Stanford University) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar -

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: Hyun Youk (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

• 

  Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar -

  11:00 am

  Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236

  • Seminar/Symposium
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: James Kakalios (University of Minnesota) “THE PHYSICS OF SUPERHEROES”

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

• 

  Instruction Ends

  All Day

  • Other
• 

  The Physics Colloquium: The Hans Frauenfelder Colloquium - Peter Wolynes (Rice University) TBD

  4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Loomis Lab 141

  • Seminar/Symposium

Thursday, May 7, 2026

• 

  Reading Day/IT No Change Period in effect

  All Day

  • Other

Friday, May 8, 2026

• 

  Final Exams Begin

  All Day

  • Other

Saturday, May 16, 2026

• 

  Commencement

  8:30 am

  Memorial Stadium

  • Ceremony/Service

Monday, May 18, 2026

• 

  First Day of Instruction, Summer Term 1

  All Day

  • Other

Monday, May 25, 2026

• 

  Memorial Day Holiday

  All Day

  • Other

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

• 

  First Day of Instruction, Summer Term 2

  All Day

  • Other

Friday, June 19, 2026

• 

  Juneteenth

  All Day

  • Ceremony/Service

Friday, July 3, 2026

• 

  Independence Day (observed)

  All Day

  • Other