Galactic Odyssey – Navigating the Cosmic Expanse

Over the past 50 years, astronomers have become increasingly certain that most of the Universe is made up of a mysterious invisible substance that we do not properly understand. This stuff — known as ‘Dark Matter’ — is thought to play an integral role in the evolution of the Universe, and is ultimately responsible for our existence here on Earth. But despite its importance, Dark Matter has never actually been detected! I lay out the observational evidence that has led scientists to believe something which — on the surface — seems so incredibly bizarre.

The Epoch of Reionisation describes the cosmic period in which the Universe went from being dark and neutral, to being transparent to radiation and full of light! Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), direct observations of the galaxies responsible for lighting up the Universe during this time period are now possible. In this talk I will give an overview of this wonderful instrument and the intriguing discoveries it has allowed us to make in the past few years.

More details coming soon!