Sloan Digital Sky Survey - III

Penn State is an associate member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III (SDSS-III). Between 2008 and 2014, SDSS-III is using the Apache Point Observatory's 2.5-meter telescope to perform four independent surveys: 1) search for extrasolar planets via radial velocity monitoring of nearby stars, 2) study the dynamical and chemical evolution of stars in the Milky Way, 3) investigate the infrared radiation of stars located near the center of the Milky Way, and 4) study dark energy via by mapping the distribution of distant galaxies and quasars. Faculty members Suvrath Mahadevan, Niel Brandt, and Donald Schneider are participating in SDSS-III.