NRF|SAAO Cape Town Open Night
May 9 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Join us for Open Nights at the South African Astronomical Observatory (NRF/SAAO) in Cape Town, held on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.
Each evening begins with an engaging presentation on astronomy or a related field of science, followed by a guided tour of the Observatory’s rich history—including our library, museum, and the historic 120-year-old McClean Telescope.
Weather permitting, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy stargazing through the McClean and additional smaller telescopes.
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- Gates open at 7:30 PM.
- Free entry for children aged 6 and under.
Please email cptbookings@saao.ac.za or call +27 21 447 0025 if you have any queries regarding bookings.
Speaker: Koustav Konar
Bio:
Koustav Konar is a PhD student at Stellenbosch University and the University of Groningen, working in observational cosmology. He currently works with an enigmatic astrophysical transient called Fast Radio Bursts to test the standard model of cosmology using data from the upcoming SKA telescopes.
Abstract:
A Long-Expected Journey: Using Cosmic Beacons to find the Universe’s Missing Matter
For over a century, we have meticulously mapped the Universe, guided by human curiosity and generations of careful observations. The culmination of this centuries-old lore is the standard model of cosmology, which has been remarkably successful at predicting everything from the birth of stars to the evolution of galaxies. Yet, as our vision grows clearer, subtle cracks have emerged from the shadows.
One such persistent puzzle is the Missing Baryon Problem, where a vast portion of the matter predicted by our theories remains unseen. It is as if we have opened a new puzzle box, only to find that half the contents are missing, leaving the final picture incomplete.
Join us as we journey through the milestones and mysteries of our cosmic discoveries. We will explore why our current maps are failing us and how we use Fast Radio Bursts as cosmic beacons to hunt down these scattered fragments of our Universe.