Ananda Hota (born 1 April 1975) is an Indian astronomer and educator whose work includes citizen-science research in astronomy[1]. He is a University Grant Commission faculty member at the UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (CEBS), Mumbai, and the founder of the RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory, a citizen-science research initiative in India.
Hota was born and raised in Sonepur (Subarnapur) in the western part of Odisha state of India. He completed his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Physics in 1995 from Sonepur College, Sambalpur University, and went on to earn an M.Sc. in Physics from Sambalpur University in 1997. He obtained his Ph.D. in physics (Astronomy & Astrophysics) in 2007 from the Joint Astronomy Programme of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, in collaboration with the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, TIFR, Pune.
Career
After completing postdoctoral work (including a five-year fellowship at Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Taipei) and short stints at NCRA and IUCAA, Hota joined UM-DAE CEBS in December 2012 as a faculty member. He has been involved in teaching astronomy and astrophysics to M.Sc. level students, mentoring them for MSc projects, organising astronomy workshops, and guiding PhD students.
Hota's research focuses on multi-wavelength observational studies of black hole–galaxy co-evolution, active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback, starburst and Seyfert galaxies, radio galaxies, ram pressure stripping in cluster galaxies and galaxy evolution.[1][2][3] His research uses radio observations to investigate the interaction between radio jets, produced by accretion onto supermassive black holes, and the cold gas in galaxies, and how this interaction influences star formation over time. Radio data are used to estimate the age of the plasma in the jets, while observations at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths are employed to study the star formation histories of the host galaxies.[4] One of his important publications, was the discovery of an episodic radio galaxy hosted by a spiral (disk) galaxy named Speca. Soon after this discovery, in 2012, he returned India to initiate citizen science research in astronomy using the GMRT radio telescope.
In 2013, Hota founded the RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory, a citizen-science research platform in astronomy based in India. The collaboratory trains science-educated citizens and University-students (referred to as “e-astronomers” or “i-astronomers”) across India, enabling them to contribute to research using publicly available astronomy data, including follow up observations with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT).[5] Under his leadership, RAD@home has trained participants, helped them discover radio sources and become co-authors in peer-reviewed international research publications.[6] RAD@home has conducted citizen-science research workshops in collaboration with several research and educational institutions in India.[7][8] Recent RAD@home discovery of the farthest and most powerful Odd Radio Circle (ORC), RAD J131346.9+500320 , was the first ORC discovered through citizen science process.[9][10][11][12] This collaboratory approach to Research, Education and Outreach has been considered a preparation for future with mega telescope facilities like the SKA.[13]
Recognition
Awards: He has received the Samanta Chandrasekhar Jyotirbigyani Sanman, awarded in 2018 for his research contributions in astronomy and to science education.[14] He has also received the Best PhD Thesis award from the Astronomical Society of India in the year 2007.[15]
Professional Memberships: Hota is a life member of the Astronomical Society of India.[2] He is also a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU)[16] and member of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) science working group.[5]
Hota, A. et al., 2011, "Discovery of a spiral-host episodic radio galaxy" named Speca[17][18][19]
Hota, A. et al., 2012, "NGC 3801 caught in the act: a post-merger star-forming early-type galaxy with AGN—jet feedback"[4][20][21]
Ohyama, Y. & Hota, A. 2013 "Discovery of a possibly single blue supergiant star in the intra-cluster region of Virgo cluster of galaxies" farthest star SDSS J1229+1122[22][23][24]
Hota, A. et al. 2022 "RAD@home citizen science discovery of an active galactic nucleus spewing a large unipolar radio bubble on to its merging companion galaxy"[25][26][27][28]
Hota, A. et al. 2025, “RAD@home discovery of extragalactic radio rings and odd radio circles: clues to their origins" Odd Radio Circle RAD J131346.9+500320[29][30]
↑Hota, Ananda; Sirothia, S. K.; Ohyama, Youichi; Konar, C.; Kim, Suk; Rey, Soo-Chang; Saikia, D. J.; Croston, J. H.; Matsushita, Satoki (2011-10-01). "Discovery of a spiral-host episodic radio galaxy". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 417 (1): L36–L40. arXiv:1107.4742. Bibcode:2011MNRAS.417L..36H. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2011.01115.x. ISSN1745-3925.
