Pune KnOT: Discovery of the Alaknanda Galaxy
The next Pune Knowledge on Tap will be on Thursday, 8th January, with Rashi Jain and Yogesh Wadadekar, on "Discovery of the Alaknanda Galaxy"
Rashi and Yogesh's recent discovery of the Alaknanda Galaxy has the potential to shake up science's understanding of how early galaxies were formed after the Big Bang. Join us to understand how Alaknanda was discovered and what makes it special
Rashi Jain is a PhD student at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA–TIFR), Pune. Her research interests lie in galaxy formation and evolution in the early Universe, working with deep multi-wavelength survey data to study how galaxies assemble their mass, build structure (disks/bulges/spirals), and sustain star formation across cosmic time. She also contributes to science communication and outreach through TIFR’s public-facing platforms.
Prof. Yogesh Wadadekar is a faculty member at NCRA–TIFR whose work spans galaxy formation and evolution, including the radio properties of galaxies and AGN, high-redshift systems, and the use of large-area surveys to map how galaxies change over billions of years. He is also interested in software/technology development and machine-learning methods for astronomical data, and is actively involved in training students through graduate-level teaching and mentorship.
Other details
Timing:
6:30pm: registration, mingling, ordering
7:00pm: Topic warmup and quiz
7:15pm: main talk
8:30pm: main event ends, but feel free to stick around afterwards to mingle, interact with the speaker or us, and have dinner.
Parking: There is parking in the basement (level -2) of the building—but be careful, big cars might not be able to navigate the turn. It is self-parking, you can park anywhere, but please do it mindfully, and don't park in such a way as to eat up multiple spots. You can also find parking on the street, either on the main ITI road or the bylanes.
Payment: ₹300 per person will be collected at the entrance, which can be applied towards your bill. (No, you don't have to drink beer or any other alcohol!)
No Age Restriction: There is no age restriction. You can bring children along.