Dr Joanna Sakowska
IAA-CSIC
Hi! I am an Astrophysics researcher and scientific communicator, specialising in galactic archaeology. Instead of shovels and brushes, I use large telescopes to trace how galaxies have grown to their present day state. You can find a complete list of my publications here (NASA ADS).
News:
- (2026) I am excited to announce our discovery of Andromeda XXXVI! Please find the article here
- (2025) I have started a postdoctoral position at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), working on the European Space Agency’s ARRAKIHS mission.
Interests
- Extragalactic stellar streams
- Dwarf galaxies
- Low surface brightness science
- The Magellanic Clouds
Education
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PhD in Astrophysics, 2020 - 2024
University of Surrey
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MPhys Physics with Astronomy, 2016 - 2020
University of Surrey
Research
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Galaxies do not grow by themselves- they ’eat’ satellite galaxies and star clusters to grow, leaving behind long trails of stars called stellar streams. Hence, stellar streams preserve the archaeological record of merger events long after the original satellite has been completely disrupted.
Visible with the naked eye, the Magellanic Cloud galaxies are our closest pair of interacting dwarf galaxies. Thus, they constitute a unique opportunity to study galactic evolution in precious detail.
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDGs) are the smallest galaxies in our Universe. Full of dark matter, many have undergone little to no evolution since their formation in the early Universe, providing precious constraints on early galaxy formation.
Media and Outreach
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Publication highlights
(2026).
Andromeda XXXVI discovery of a new ultra-faint dwarf galaxy towards M31.
Astronomy and Astrophysics (submitted).
(2026).
Stellar streams around dwarf galaxies in the local Universe.
Astronomy & Astrophysics; A&A 707, L1 (2026).
(2024).
Unveiling the purely young star formation history of the SMC's northeastern shell from colour-magnitude diagram fitting.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 532, Issue 4, pp.4272-4288.