The scope of physical studies--from atoms to galaxies--is well represented in the imaginative curriculum of Carleton's physics and astronomy department, as well as in the specialties of individual faculty members here. Interested students can choose from 25 regularly-offered courses. A low student-faculty ratio means many opportunities to interact with teachers.

Physics studies are centered in Olin Hall, which underwent extensive renovation during the 1996-97 school year.  Olin Hall has excellent teaching laboratories, research areas, and computer facilities, providing students ready access to modern research equipment, including extensive electronic instrumentation and laboratory computers, a HPGe gamma detector, a 7" laboratory electromagnet, an optical spectrograph, a dye laser, x-ray diffraction equipment, an ultra high vacuum system, and a scanning tunneling/atomic force microscope.

Students with a special interest in astronomy normally complete a physics major, with emphasis on courses and projects relevant to astronomy. Goodsell Observatory, where many of these activities are carried out, was built in 1887. It contains a 16 inch Brashear visual refractor and an 8-inch Alvan Clark refractor which can be converted to photography. Other equipment includes six portable Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes with optional computer control, seven CCD cameras and a spectrometer. In addition, students have the opportunity to do computer analysis of optical and radioastronomical data gathered at various U.S. national observatories and to travel to these facilities for observations.