The department was established in 1992. Astronomy & Space-Science is a discipline involving the investigation of celestial phenomena in the universe. Due to the rapid development of scientific technology, research areas are being extended day by day. By means of spacecraft and space expeditions - which were widely unimaginable in the early 20th century - new discoveries have been made. Space telescopes have revealed much more than could have been seen before. Therefore, the astronomical knowledge of the universe is not only possible but in high demand. The department takes inspiration from the infinite potential of its discipline. To facilitate new research endeavors, it is especially proud to offer students use of the largest 76㎝ telescope of any Korean university.
The principal goal of the department is to train professional scientists through course work and hands-on experimentation. At present, the graduates of our department are engaged in government institutes (Korean Astronomy Observatory, Radio Observatory, etc.) and the private sector (Korea Telecom, Korean Air Lines, etc.).

1) At least 24 course units of graduate level credit in Astronomy & Space-Science courses are required for the master's degree and 36 course units for the doctor's degree (including units completed in master course).


2) Students have to pass a qualifying examination.


3) Students must fulfill presentation, defense, and document requirements for the astronomy & space-science thesis committee.


4) A thesis advisor can be any faculty member from the Astronomy & Space-Science Department.

Planetary Astronomy Laboratory(PADRA: Planetary Astronomy Data Reduction and Analysis)

URL: http://space.khu.ac.kr/~padra
Director: Professor Sang-Joon Kim

The Planetary Astronomy Laboratory, PADRA, was established for studying planetary data reduction and analysis on Oct. 2, 1997. The members are studying solar system objects except the Sun and the Earth. We would like to derive the physical and chemical features of the solar system objects with observations and theoretical modeling.

- Research on the atmospheres of giant planets with Saturn and Jupiter's IR data from IRTF
- The Solar Absorption Line with IR data obtained by ATMOS
- Research on the temperature distributions of Jovian stratosphere with IR spectroscopic data from Voyager 1 and 2
- Research on CH3D IR emissions from Titan atmosphere
- Modeling of CH4 IR emissions from Comets

Space Physics Laboratory
URL: http://spacelab.khu.ac.kr
Director: Professor Dong-Hun Lee

Research Overview
Our research subject is to understand the space environment around the earth. Current topics include:
Magnetospheric waves and instabilities
Magnetohydrodynamic waves and plasma waves
Space environmental measurements and data analysis
Electromagnetic wave propagation in an inhomogeneous medium
Nonlinear wave properties in nonuniform plasmas.

Ongoing Projects
Near-Earth Space Science Program (Brain Korea 21)
Space Environment Lab for Solar-Terrestrial-Planetary Relationship (KOSEF: Advanced Basic Research Laboratory)

Solar Physics Laboratory
Director: Professor Kap-Sung Kim

Research Overview
Our research lab focuses on the observational and theoretical studies of the growth of instabilities on the solar surface including the photosphere and corona. The solar activities can influence the performance and reliability of space-born and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life on Earth. The studies of structure and evolution of the solar active regions are accomplished using various wavelength data (UV, X-ray, H, etc.) and help us to understand the space environment. Also the sun, as a typical star in the universe, serves an important role in helping us to understand other stars.

Ongoing Projects
Construction of the real time solar image acquisition system
Spectroscopic analysis of the solar atmosphere
Space weather forecasting
Orbit computation of the celestial bodies
Image processing and analysis

Research Overview
SPARC is the Space Payload Research Center with a satellite and rocket. Furthermore, it performs scientific research and produces high tech instruments.
Our team manages and complete those missions properly as system engineers. Also, we study the solar-terrestrial environment using the data from the payload.

Ongoing Projects
-Development of Magnetometer for the Rocket Flight Attitude Information and the Earth's Magnetic Field Fluctuation Measurement
-Development the Extreme-Ultra Violet Solar Telescope for a Satellite
-Development the Lyman-alpha Image Solar Telescope for STSAT-2\
-Study of Solar Atmosphere at Lyman-alpha

Research Overview
Our research areas include dynamical evolution of star clusters and the galaxy centers, hydrodynamics of molecular gas in the central 200 pc of our galaxy, mass distribution near the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. We also plan to study the mass function evolution of the Galactic globular cluster systems, and the comparison of velocity dispersion in the outer region of globular clusters from observations and simulations.

Numerical Astrophysics Laboratory

Ongoing Projects

Research Topics
Dynamical evolution of star clusters near the Galactic center
Dynamical fricion of a star cluster with a central intermediate-mass black hole
Hydrodynamic simulation of 200-pc Molecular Ring of our galaxy
Mass distribution near the central supermassive black hole of our galaxy
Secular Evolution of the center of our galaxy
Recovery of lower-end mass function: Pixel Luminosity Function method
Evolution of the mass function of the Galactic globular systems
Globular cluster N-body simulations and the test of Modified Newtonian Dynamics

Infrared Laboratory
Director: Professor Soojong Pak

Research Overview
Our lab builds infrared instruments including cameras and
spectrometers. These instruments are installed on ground-based
optical/infrared telescopes or on space infrared telescopes for
astronomical observations. Infrared observations can reveal the
embedded processes in the forming stars and in the central regions of
galaxies where the dust extinction prohibits the optical observations.
We can also observe the red-shifted radiations from distant galaxies
in infrared bands.

Ongoing Projects
Building near-infrared camera for a ground based telescope
Building near-infrared camera and spectrometer for a sounding rocket
Design of infrared spectrometer for ground and space infrared telescopes