Free Carnegie Science Lecture: Galaxies Shed Light on the Early Universe

Using Galaxies to Shed Light on the Early Universe (Photo – Carnegie Science)

Want to delve into the mysteries of space and time? Carnegie Science walks the public through both with the launch of its 24th Season of free lectures: “Ultraviolet Suspects: Using Galaxies to Shed Light on the Early Universe” on Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7:00 pm, given by Dr. Anthony Pahl, Observatories Postdoctoral Fellow.

By Melanie Hooks

Dr. Pahl is the first of four speakers ready to share some of the most exciting topics in astronomy, including dark matter, the ancient universe, exoplanet interiors, and the origins of water on rocky planets.

Carnegie’s website details the March 2nd topic: “One of the universe’s last phase changes, reionization, took place within the first billion years of its cosmic history. Today, astronomers can use the ultraviolet signals from distant galaxies to investigate the “who,” “when,” and “how” of that critical period. In this talk, Carnegie Science Observatories postdoc Tony Pahl will present his research on the high-energy radiation leaking from galaxies, which leverages data collected with a combination of instruments, including NASA’s JWST, the Keck Observatory telescopes in Hawaii, and Carnegie’s own twin Magellan telescopes at our Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.”

The lectures will be held in Rothenberg Hall at The Huntington. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., the program will begin with a brief musical performance at 7:00 p.m., and the lectures will commence at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are free, but reservations are required, available here.

Reservations for each subsequent lecture will go online the morning after the prior evening’s talk. Each program will also be livestreamed on Carnegie Science’s YouTube channel.

The remaining series lectures scheduled are:
Monday, March 16, 7:00 pm
Planetary Habitability: The Origin of Water,
Dr. Anat Shahar | Vice President For Research, Carnegie Science

Monday, March 30, 7:00 pm
Shining a Light on Dark Matter
Andrew Robertson | Postdoctoral Fellow, Carnegie Science Observatories

Monday, April 13, 7:00 pm
How to Look Inside an Exoplanet
Shreyas Vissapragada | George Ellery Hale Distinguished Scholar, Carnegie Science Observatories

Carnegie Science Lecture 
"Ultraviolet Suspects: Using Galaxies to Shed Light on the Early Universe"
Doors Open: 6:30 pm
Music: 7:00 pm
Lecture: 7:30 pm
Location
The Huntington
Rothenberg Hall
1151 Oxford Rd
San Marino, CA 91108