NEW: The First Billion Years of the Universe: When Everything Began
About this Event
On July 20th, we present : "The First Billion Years of the Universe: When Everything Began" by Prof. Seiji Futomoto, PhD.
How did the first galaxies form - just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang?
For most of human history, this question was out of reach. Now, thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, we are finally able to see the earliest galaxies and black holes as they actually appeared in the young universe.
In this lecture, Seiji Fujimoto explores how astronomers study these extremely distant systems using cutting-edge observatories, along with a powerful natural tool: gravitational lensing, where massive galaxy clusters act like cosmic magnifying glasses.
Recent discoveries suggest something unexpected - early galaxies may have formed stars far more efficiently and rapidly than our current models predict. If true, it could reshape our understanding of how structure in the universe first emerged.
This talk also highlights a major ongoing JWST survey led by Prof. Fujimoto, aimed at uncovering the faintest and most distant galaxies ever detected, pushing astronomy closer to the universe’s very first light.
🧠 About the wonderful Prof. Seiji Futomoto
Seiji Fujimoto is an astronomer specializing in distant galaxies and black holes in the early universe.
He completed his PhD at the University of Tokyo, followed by research positions as a DAWN Fellow in Copenhagen and a NASA Hubble Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, before joining the University of Toronto in 2025.
His research uses world-class facilities including JWST and ALMA to conduct large-scale observational surveys of the earliest cosmic structures.
📅 Date: June 1st, 2026
🕡 Time: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Chef's Hall
🎤 Speaker: Professor Seiji Futomoto, PhD.
Expect a journey into the deep cosmic past - where the first stars, galaxies, and black holes began building everything we see today.
🎟 Seats are limited!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 37.61
