Galaxy evolution
How giant galaxies grow, merge, rotate, and transform across cosmic time.
Explore →Ecuadorian astrophysicist · Educator · Explorer
Silvana Delgado AndradeDecoding the hidden architecture of galaxies
I study the motions of stars to reveal how dark matter, stellar mass, and supermassive black holes shape the most massive galaxies in the nearby Universe.
Ph.D. 2025Texas A&M Astronomy
3 yearsNASA Space Grant Fellow
1.7B SunsNGC 2693 black hole
Ecuador → CosmosScience without borders
What I study
Making the invisible measurable.
Galaxies carry a record of their own formation. Their light, shape, and stellar motions let us reconstruct histories that unfolded over billions of years.
Supermassive black holes
How the compact engines at galaxy centers connect to the structures that surround them.
Explore →Dark matter
How invisible mass changes stellar motion and the internal balance of a galaxy.
Explore →Stellar dynamics
How precise measurements of moving stars reveal a galaxy’s hidden mass.
Explore →Beyond research
A scientific voice rooted in Ecuador.
Silvana brings research, education, and community into the same orbit.
After completing her Ph.D. in Astronomy at Texas A&M University, she began teaching Physics I and II at Wharton County Junior College. Her broader work includes mentoring students, organizing public astronomy, supporting underrepresented scientists, and helping build new pathways for astronomy education in Ecuador.
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Research, ideas, impact.
Three ways into Silvana’s work: a scientific result, a public explanation, and a community built around curiosity.
The triaxial galaxy NGC 2693
Orbit-based modeling measured a central black hole of 1.7 billion solar masses—and showed why a galaxy’s true three-dimensional shape matters.
Read the paper →What is a supermassive black hole?
A clear guide to the invisible giants at the centers of galaxies and the evidence astronomers use to measure them.
Read the article →AstroCamp Ecuador
A three-day astronomy experience in Baños brought 60 university students together for science, community, nature, and adventure.
Discover AstroCamp →