Lab Description

The UCSD Optical Infrared Laboratory (UCSD OIR lab) specializes in optical and infrared astronomical instrumentation that uses innovative techniques to answer a range of astrophysical questions. Our team makes use of these instruments to conduct cutting-edge observational programs to study distant galaxies, supermassive black holes, stellar astrophysics, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

Our lab designs and develops instrumentation for Lick Observatory, W.M. Keck Observatory, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The lab particularly focuses on astronomical instruments that work with adaptive optics systems, near-infrared integral field spectrographs, advanced data reduction pipelines, and optical and near-infrared SETI instrumentation. Our team also participates in a range of educational and outreach activities in the greater San Diego community, including operating the portable planetarium program Cosmic Tours.