Curiosity Lecture 5 – Astronomy: Beyond What Our Eyes Can See

The Curiosity Lecture is an online lecture series by Abhiyan Labs, designed to ignite curiosity in young minds by exploring the fascinating world of scientific knowledge and discovery.

Dr. Mayuri Rao (Associate Professor, Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru) began the lecture by asking the audience what they thought an astronomer does. She then explained that while the traditional image of an astronomer looking through a telescope is not entirely accurate, modern astronomers use a variety of tools and techniques to study the universe, including different types of telescopes.

Dr. Rao delved into the concept of light and its properties. She explained that light is a wave, and the distance between two peaks of the wave is called the wavelength. Different wavelengths of light correspond to different colors, and our eyes can only see a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Other types of telescopes, such as radio telescopes and infrared telescopes, can detect wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye.

The lecture then moved on to the topic of galaxies. Dr. Rao explained that our solar system is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way, which is a spiral galaxy. She discussed how astronomers use various techniques to study the structure and properties of galaxies, including observing other galaxies and analyzing the distribution of stars and gas within our own galaxy.

One of the key points of the lecture was the concept of false color images. Dr. Rao explained that when telescopes capture data, they often record information about the brightness of objects at different wavelengths. To make these images more visually appealing and easier to interpret, astronomers assign different colors to different wavelengths. This technique is called false color imaging.

The lecture concluded with a Q&A session, where Dr. Rao answered questions from the audience about various topics, including the Milky Way galaxy, false color images, and the techniques used to study the universe.

Watch the lecture: