“I’m Teja Begari and I’m a young researcher in Astronomy, also an Education Ambassador for NSF NOIRLab, and I’ve been the youngest ambassador for the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).
My fascination with the universe began in third grade when I saw a beautiful illustration of the Solar System in my Environmental Sciences textbook. I asked my teacher about it, and she told me those were called ‘Planets.’ Around the same time, my father introduced me to the web browser, and I vividly remember him showing me a Wikipedia article about Dr. B R Ambedkar. I asked him to show me those planets I had heard about, and he showed me a Wikipedia article about the Solar System. I knew then that this was something I was truly interested in, partly because I didn’t understand it.
What I love about the universe is its scale and mysteries – the vastness, formation, and possibilities of life beyond Earth. But my research journey wasn’t easy. I struggled to figure things out on my own during my first project with Prof. Thomas J Maccarone from Texas Tech University. I was afraid of not finding the solution to a problem, but I persevered through reading, exploring, and experimenting.
Many people have inspired me to delve deeper into science, including my middle school physics teacher, Mr. Ramachandruni Vijaya Saradhi, and renowned scientists like Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Henrietta Swan Leavitt. My research supervisors, Prof. Thomas J Maccarone, Dr. Aida Kirichenko, and Prof. Prajval Shastri, have also played a significant role in my journey.
My biggest support system is my father. He’s my first teacher, and I love him more than the universe I study. If I could advise my younger self, I’d say, “You’re doing great, and remember, the sky is not the limit.”
My ultimate goal is to inspire others to pursue their passions, contributing to the understanding of the universe, even if it’s just a small part. I want to study the universe, and I know the answers to its mysterious questions might not be revealed in my lifetime. Still, I want to contribute to the understanding of our universe. I will always strive to advocate, promote, and popularize astronomy, and fight for diversity and inclusion in the field.
I would tell my younger self that you are doing great, and always remember the sky is not the limit. There is so much more I have to do, but at the end of the day, I want to inspire people – not necessarily to get into Astronomy or sciences, but to inspire them to do what they love. That is when people are at their authentic best. The universe is vast, and I am not even a speck of dust, but I want to study the universe.”