Interstellar dust has a significant impact on many astronomical research fields, as it absorbs and scatters a large fraction of the star light, and influences star formation and galaxy evolution at all cosmic times. Understanding the amount of dust, the properties of the grains, and the interplay between dust and radiation, is thus crucial to derive precise knowledge of any object in the Universe that is obscured by dust, as well as to constrain the initial conditions for star and planet formation. My research focuses on understanding how dust grains of different sizes and compositions, as well as the star-dust geometry, affect multi-wavelength observations. I am particularly interested in what dust particles are made of, how they evolve, and how they interact with radiation at different wavelengths.

In this seminar, I will explain which methods I use to study dust in the Milky Way and in nearby galaxies, and what we have learned so far. I will also show how combining the results of these approaches, and the synergy between multi-wavelength data from the James Webb and the Hubble Space Telescopes, as well as other observations is advancing our understanding of interstellar dust properties and how they vary in different environments.

Astro Colloquium and 'coffee & cookies' department gathering (3:30-3:45pm)

Please join in 538 Davey or click the link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/96372770280