If you’re a star-gazer, here’s your chance to learn from an expert

It’s a dream come true for Bangalore’s young, aspiring astronomers as they get ready to learn the nitty-gritty of space science from none other than Dr Vishnu Reddy, the US-based star astronomer.

Dr Reddy, who is visiting Bangalore, will conduct a special workshop on planetary sciences.

According to sources, nearly 100 school children who aspire to take up astronomy as a career option, will be attending the day-long workshop on ‘Careers in planetary sciences’ on September 19. This free workshop has been organised by the Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS) at VET auditorium, VET school, JP Nagar II Phase.

“The workshop will cover several aspects of the subject that will attempt to bridge the gap between amateur and professional astronomy. It  will be  beneficial for children interested in this science,” said Vivek Yerkadithaya, a member of BAS. The workshop will give the participants an overview of planetary sciences and what exactly the job of an astronomer entails.
Vishnu Reddy has been credited with the discovery of 22 main belt asteroids, two binary near-earth asteroids, six main-belt binary asteroids, and a supernova by the International Astronomical Union.

One of his asteroid discoveries has been named ‘78118 Bharat’ in honour of India, his native country. Reddy is currently an assistant research professor at the department of space studies at the University of North Dakota.

Interested youngsters are eagerly awaiting the interaction with Vishnu Reddy.

Children from various schools of the city including, St Joseph’s Boys High School and Baldwin Boys’ High School will be part of the celestial carnival.

“I don’t want to miss this golden opportunity of learning about astronomy from an expert like Reddy,”said Rohan Singh, a student of class IX. “It’s a rare chance for us and I am joining the event with some of my friends,” he said.