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About

Sujit Punnadi is an astronomer specializing in high-angular-resolution imaging, adaptive optics, and the characterization of multiple star systems. As a key contributor to the Robo-AO project—the first autonomous, robotic laser-guide-star adaptive optics instrument—he helped revolutionize how small telescopes achieve diffraction-limited resolution. His most cited work, a 2015 survey of nearby solar-type binary stars using Robo-AO (276 citations), significantly advanced our understanding of hierarchical multiplicity in F and G main-sequence stars. Punnadi also developed techniques to detect close-separation binaries in wide-field synoptic surveys by analyzing point-spread function shapes, enabling the discovery of millions of previously hidden stellar companions. His instrumental contributions include the design and deployment of a visible and near-infrared adaptive optics system for the 2-meter telescope at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. With over 300 total citations, Punnadi’s work bridges cutting-edge instrument development and large-scale stellar population studies, providing essential data on binary star formation and dynamics. His efforts have made autonomous AO a practical, replicable tool for 1–3 meter class telescopes worldwide.