The Petrie Science and Engineering Building (PSE), which opened in 1968, houses the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), and the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, as well as faculty from the Department of Chemistry.

This co-location provides fruitful opportunities for interdisciplinary research, as well as a number of specialized research facilities. These include: 30 cm and 60 cm telescopes equipped with CCD cameras; ultra high vacuum chambers; mass spectrometers; a digital particle imaging velocimeter; high bandwidth transient digitizers; lock-in amplifiers; and a variety of lasers including YAG, excimer, argon ion, and stabilized ring dye lasers.  

The Steacie Science Library is located just east of Petrie. The Chemistry Building is located just west of Petrie. A new Life Sciences Building, located just north of Petrie, opened in summer 2011. Other York facilities directly relevant to research in physics and astronomy include a machine shop, an electronics shop, and, of course, numerous powerful computing facilities.