 Non-spherical nanoparticles can be used in photonic applications, but their orientation with respect to the pump and probe polarization's effects, how much light they absorb. This effect must be taken into account when measuring the carrier thermalization time, carrier phonon scattering time, and complex polarizability from transient absorption measurements. This article was authored by Asha Singh, Himanshu Srivastava, Ramashari, and others.