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ASTRONOMY & ME!

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About Me

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Missouri-Columbia pursuing a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in astronomy. I earned my Bachelor's degree in astrophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2020. Before coming to Madison, I studied at China Jiliang University for a year as a Math and Applied Math major.

I was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China in 1997. Hangzhou is a tourist city with many attractions, among which Xihu (the West Lake) is the best-known. On July 22nd, 2009, Hangzhou (with its neighbor cities and regions) was the best observation site worldwide for a great total solar eclipse. Professionals and amateurs from many countries gathered here. That was the beginning of my pathway to astronomy.

In 2012, I attended Hangzhou Xuejun High School and founded the Xuejun Astronomical Association (XJAA). Until today, we are still actively following our goal of "bringing astronomy to more people." I have a lot of good memories with XJAA, and I appreciate all those great people I met there. Some of us are still closest friends, sharing many ideas and stories.

Astronomy was my hobby, but it is now my major and will likely become my permanent career. I appreciate the opportunity offered by UW-Madison and the financial support from my parents. I am also an amateur astronomer trying to capture the night sky as much as possible. I have traveled to many places in the United States and China for stargazing.

I am interested in filmmaking, especially in the technical part, e.g., the use of different types of cameras and lenses and how to properly use moves to express moods of a characteristic. The key in filmmaking, however, is to be a good narrator, i.e., to tell a story artistically using my gear - and this is what I am actively working on now.

Back to Astronomy, another milestone for me was publishing my first book, Reading the Stars: Basic Astronomy Tutorial and Observation Practise for High School Students (Zhejiang People Publishing House, 2017.9 in China, ISBN: 978-7-213-08289-4). Starting in 2013, I spent four years writing, editing, and improving the book's contents, and I could not be happier when it eventually became a publication.

For more about me, please see my resume below!

Resume

Please click the button below to see my CV!

I Love Astrophotography!

This photo of the Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101) was taken in Spring 2021. It was awarded third place in the 2021 Chinese National Astrophotography Competition for College Students held by Fudan University in Shanghai.

Contact Me

bsdnb@umsystem.edu

+1-(608)-334-1021

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© 2019-2025 by Bangzheng Sun.

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