Celestial Hour
One hour. One astronomer. One universe to explore
A live webinar series for everyone who has ever looked up and wanted to know more, hosted by the people who do.
Asst. Prof. Anupam Bhardwaj
Assistant Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune
Dr. Anupam Bhardwaj is an Assistant Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Delhi in 2018 and has carried out research at leading international institutes, including the European Southern Observatory (Germany), Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (China), and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, South Korea. He was awarded a prestigious Marie-Curie Fellowship of the European Union and spent two years at the INAF–Capodimonte Observatory (Italy) before moving to India. His research explores how pulsating stars can be used to measure cosmic distances, understand the expansion of the Universe, and uncover the formation history of our Galaxy.
Dr. Bhardwaj has received several prestigious awards, including the Gruber Foundation Fellowship of the International Astronomical Union and the Prof. M. K. Vainu Bappu Gold Medal from the Astronomical Society of India. He is currently a young Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru.
Webinar
Our Universe’s Expansion: A Cosmic Puzzle
How fast is the Universe expanding? Surprisingly, even after nearly hundred years of measurements and calculations, astronomers still do not agree on the answer. In the last decade, most precise measurements of the cosmic expansion rate, known as the Hubble constant, have produced conflicting results. This discrepancy, often called the “Hubble tension”, has become one of the most compelling puzzles in modern cosmology. In this talk, we will explore how astronomers measure cosmic distances and build the cosmic distance ladder to map the age and size of the Universe. We will also question the nature of the Hubble tension — is it a measurement issue or a sign that our understanding of the Universe is incomplete?
Date: 31 July 2026
Time: 5:00 pm IST
Register Today. Limited seats available.
Free to attend but registration required.
Conversations That Bring the Universe Closer
The universe is 13.8 billion years old, and it is full of mysteries. At Starscapes Experiences, we believe the best way to fall in love with the cosmos is to hear about it from the people who have devoted their lives to it. That’s why we are introducing Celestial hour, a free, live webinar series where eminent astronomers, astrophysicists, and space scientists join us to share their discoveries, and their stories.
Whether you’re an enthusiastic stargazer, a student of science, or simply someone who has looked up at the night sky and felt the pull of something vast, these conversations are for you. Each session is an intimate, unhurried dialogue: part lecture, part storytelling, part live Q&A. No jargon walls. Just real science, real passion, and the kind of perspective that only comes from spending a career looking outward.
From dark-sky expeditions to deep-field imaging, from black hole research to the search for exoplanets, our speakers bring the frontier to you.
Upcoming Webinars
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