The study of the night sky and stars has always been intertwined with human history. Throughout time, civilizations have gazed at the stars above and assigned different names to them.

Driven by curiosity, a woman found herself fascinated by the world of astronomy. Dr. Andrea Carillo, a post-doctoral Research Associate at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, UK, shared her journey at an event hosted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to celebrate Women and Girls in Astronomy.

Carillo recalled how she became interested in astrophysics after hearing about Reinabelle Reyes, known as "the Filipina who proved Einstein right."

“There was Reinabelle Reyes, and I still remember all the news headlines about her, including the Filipina who proved Einstein right,” she said, reflecting on her inspiration to enter the world of science.

As a galactic archaeologist, Carillo explained her research on the Milky Way's formation, using stars as a fossil record.

“I study the Milky Way, the formation of our home galaxy, using stars as a fossil record because of their ages, chemistry, or motions in the sky,” Dr. Carillo explained.

She delved into the study of galaxy formation through a combination of observations and simulations of various galaxies, emphasizing the importance of observational data in astronomy.

In her role as a galactic archaeologist, Carillo researched to characterize dwarf galaxies.

"So, I'm looking at the characteristics of these cannibalized stars. I also conduct a lot of simulation work, which is how we 'experiment' with astronomy," the scientist added.

Curiosity in Astronomy

Growing up in Baliuag, Bulacan, Carillo's childhood dreams varied, but she found her curiosity in astronomy and pursued a career in the field.

“I just liked looking up at the night sky because we would go from Baliwag to Manila and it would be 4 a.m., and 5 a.m., and then we would leave very early in the morning so it would still be dark. I would just like staring at the night sky and just notice stars, and I think it is Pleiades that's the first kind of constellation that I noticed,” she said.

“But I think something that was really formative for me was when I went to high school, So it was, you know, there's a lot more focus in science, and I love the subject of science,” she added.

“The first ever test that I failed in my life was a math test as a first-year high school student. And so, I think in a way that was very disheartening.”

Yet, she pointed out that this was a wake-up call for her since she knew that "no single exam could define a person," and at the same time, it was for her "character development."

Carillo was inspired by various factors to take this path. Currently, she gets to fulfill her childhood dream and learn about the universe for a living.

Moreover, when asked about her advice for girls aspiring to be Filipino astrophysicists, she said: "There’s nothing you can’t do, so don’t let people tell you cannot pursue science or astrophysics, especially if that’s what makes you happy."