South Dakota State University
  
  Physics Department
     
             
 

Astronomy

  
   
 

The physics department is completing work on the Fillbrandt observatory; a remote observatory located 18 miles northeast of Brookings.  The purpose of the observatory is to promote undergraduate research and outreach to K-12 education.  The observatory will also provide student opportunities in the Astronomy I & II courses currently offered at SDSU.  Even without the observatory, research opportunities have been available to students.  In recent years, one graduate project and two undergraduate research projects have been completed.

  
     
 

Fillbrandt Observatory Website

  
     
  Projects:  
 
  • Graduate project:  Identification of HII Regions Misidentified as Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by Ferdousi Siddique (Project Advisor:  Judy Vondruska)
  
 
  • Undergraduate project:  Search for Near-Earth Asteroids by Ryan Claussen and Brad Lowery.  A Space Grant Consortium supported project.  (Project Advisor:  Judy Vondruska)
  
     
  Departmental Contact:  Dr. Larry Browning and Judy Vondruska  
  Websites:  
    http://www.engineering.sdstate.edu/~physics/browningl/browningl.htm  
    http://www.engineering.sdstate.edu/~physics/vondruska/vondruskaj.html  
     
   
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South Dakota State University College of Engineering
Department of Physics
Box 2219
Brookings, SD 57007
voice:   (605) 688-5428
fax:   (605) 688-5878