Harvard and Cambridge Education

At Harvard University, Ostriker earned a degree in physics. During his time there, he studied under Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a distinguished Indian-American physicist and future Nobel laureate. Ostriker often spoke highly of Chandrasekhar’s mentorship and profound influence on his academic development.

Following his studies at Harvard, Ostriker spent a year at the University of Cambridge. Although he appreciated the experience, he sought more opportunities for research and found teaching commitments there limiting. He later joined Princeton University, where he enjoyed a long and influential career as a professor of astrophysics. He has remained deeply committed to the institution's educational mission.

Contributions to Astrophysics and the Theory of Dark Matter

Ostriker is widely recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to astrophysics. Among his most significant work is related to the theory of dark matter—a key concept in modern cosmology. He was instrumental in developing models that demonstrated the existence and implications of dark matter in the universe. His work helped establish that most of the universe consists of invisible matter, which cannot be directly seen with current observational instruments but can be inferred from its gravitational effects.

In one of his seminal contributions, Ostriker posited that dark matter makes up the majority of mass in the universe, while the visible matter accounts for only a small fraction. His ideas have been supported and expanded upon by subsequent observations and scientific research, contributing to our evolving understanding of the cosmos and what is often referred to as the "invisible universe."