Room 300, School of Arts and Sciences
Central Campus
Ahmedabad University
Gazing at the night sky, we naturally wonder what lies beyond our atmosphere. Astrophysics, the study of the universe beyond our reach, tackles these very questions. However, understanding celestial objects presents a unique challenge. Unlike objects we can directly interact with, measuring fundamental properties like distance, mass, temperature, and pressure for these distant bodies is incredibly difficult. All we have to unravel their secrets is the light they emit. This talk offers a taste of the diverse and exciting research happening in this field. This talk will also touch upon the tools astrophysicists use to unravel the universe's secrets, including a virtual visit to an astronomical observatory housing powerful telescopes. By the end, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the vastness and wonder of the universe and how researchers are piecing together its secrets through the faint whispers of light.
Dr Vishal Joshi is currently working as an assistant professor at Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad since 2016. After finishing his PhD from PRL, Ahmedabad in 2012, he joined as a postdoctoral fellow in IUCAA, Pune. His primary research focus is Observational studies of transients and variable stars including Novae, Supernovae and Cataclysmic Variables and astronomical instrumentation. He was a member of the core committee for commissioning the 2.5m telescope, the second largest telescope of the country. He has also developed an optical imager and a spectrograph for this telescope.
Dr Joshi is a member of several prestigious organisations, including the International Astronomical Union, Astronomical Society of India, Gujarat Science Academy and Gujarat Mathematics Association. He is also a passionate science communicator. He has delivered over 180 popular lectures and conducted more than 60 workshops on various scientific topics in astronomy, physics, and mathematics across the country. He serves as an advisor and resource person at Science City (Ahmedabad), GUJCOST (Gandhinagar), Community Science Center (Rajkot) and Vigyan Nagari, (Bhavnagar).
