Office Hours: Galaxies in Community with Professor de los Reyes
Host Priscilla Lee ’25 is joined by Assistant Professor of Astronomy Mia de los Reyes to discuss the behavior of galaxies, the formation of the Milky Way, and the politics of astronomy, as a whole.
Galaxies are like communities: Stars cycle through life, leave matter behind for future generations, interact with other galaxies, and come together to build communities bigger than themselves. At least, that’s how Assistant Professor of Astronomy Mia de los Reyes likes to frame it — a framing she contrasts with the somewhat violent and imperialistic terms scientists have traditionally used to describe astronomical processes.
In this episode, de los Reyes sits down with Host Priscilla Lee ’25 not only to explain how galaxies form and how the Milky Way came to be, but also to critically reflect on how we talk about and study the night sky. Their conversaion dives into how the field of astronomy has interacted with indigenous peoples, other communities, and sacred land — historically and in the present.
Episode notes and further reading: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cpmCdFO5TQN68hguxjI0Hi7_WClvOHLiQh8MrEc8F_8/edit?usp=sharing
Produced and edited by Priscilla Lee ’25.
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