Radio astronomy began by accident. Since the 1930s, when American physicist Karl Jansky inadvertently stumbled upon a radio hiss coming from the center of the Milky Way, radio light has revealed a universe full of surprises: black holes billions of light-years away, rapidly spinning neutron stars, and remnant light from the primordial universe—to name a few. Matthews will recount the origins and history of radio astronomy, its current puzzles, and future promises.

Allison Matthews - Carnegie Science Postdoctoral Fellow

Image: I. Heywood, SARAO.