For the past year, Gabe Dahari ‘25 and Sahar ‘26 have been searching for new stars in the sky above Berkshire.

The pair, according to Astronomy teacher David Dahari, aren't always looking through a telescope to find them, but rather spend much of their time reviewing optical and infrared archival data from several different surveys, including NASA’s WISE and Spitzer Space telescopes, to find new young stellar object (YSO) candidates in two regions in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Dahari, who also teaches physics at Berkshire, traveled with the students in January to the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, where Gabe and Sahar presented the results of their research.

"Studying star formation is crucial because it helps us understand the origins of our own solar system," says David.

"The structure and evolution of galaxies, and the composition of the universe as a whole, as stars, are responsible for creating the elements that make up planets and life itself, essentially revealing the history and future of the cosmos by examining how new stars are born," he adds.

Back at Berkshire, Gabe can be found conducting his research through the School's Advanced Math/Science Research program, while Sahar has opted for an Independent Study. What they've uncovered, according to David, is about 120 likely new YSOs. 

"Sahar is using the Dixon Observatory to explore astrophotography of star forming regions, while Gabe is continuing to analyze the star forming regions using spectroscopy and computer modeling," he shares.