Astrophysics, to most people, means complex calculations, wrestling with tough math and gazing endlessly at celestial objects, whose appearance, in actuality, shatters all romanticism about their beauty. But what if someone were to host a telescope for you, point out the objects in the sky and even answer the many tough questions on the world beyond?
Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS) has chosen to do just that. Come October, the BAS will host an innovative month-long event across Bangalore called Sidewalk Astronomy. This is an endeavour to make astronomy more accessible while erasing ensconced myths about the science. What’s more, you get to do it through telescopes put up across various venues in the city.
Naveen Nanjundappa, vice-president of BAS, told DNA Sunday, “The 30-day sidewalk that will begin from October 2 will penetrate as much as possible into the city crowd and lend exposure to the world beyond. BAS is a non-profit organisation that intends to educate people about astronomy at the outset and also enrich the knowledge base of research organisations and scientists.”
Telescopes meant for deep sky observations will be hosted at major junctions — crowded malls, open grounds and popular joints, which are spared of light pollution (lit hoardings and sign boards dim the visibility into space, polluting natural light).
Enthusiasts or curious onlookers who stop by can expect to get their questions answered by the volunteers on basic astronomy, the objects that they will be viewing through the telescope and other related issues. One will be able to see, for example, the Jupiter and its moons, and the earth’s moon.
Vivek Yerkadithaya, a volunteer at BAS, enthused about the sidewalk event, explains: “This is going to be the largest sidewalk event in Bangalore. We are targeting the city crowd and focusing on the Jupiter and its moons, which are visible whenever you want them to be visible — that’s good enough to impress people!” The previous sidewalk — 100 hours of Astronomy — that was observed in Bangalore, just as it was everywhere else in the world in April this year, attracted huge crowds. This one might be even bigger, considering it marks Bangalore’s celebration of the International Year of Astronomy — a token of appreciation to Galileo, who had first used the telescope to view the Jupiter and its moon, in 1609.
Amar Sharma, another volunteer with BAS, says: “Ninety per cent of the people are interested in wow-astronomy. This sidewalk will surely interest people — aren’t we all curious to know our place in space, anyway?”
“Children are fascinated to see the textbook objects verbatim in the sky. The fearsome Saturn, they claim, is beautiful. Through the sidewalk, we will hopefully bring more people under this umbrella,” hopes Narasimha Murthy, a Kannada teacher and a volunteer at BAS.
To volunteer for this sidewalk or to learn more about the society, log on to www.bas.org.in
Comments