The Hindu : New Delhi News : A star-gaze party in the lap of nature

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Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008
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A star-gaze party in the lap of nature

Madhur Tankha

Astronomers to go to Manora Peak in Nainital to have a glimpse of the Milky Way

Astronomers will catch 149 deep star objects including galaxies, nebulae and globular clusters.
‘Milky Way galaxy is no more easily visible from many places due to increasing light pollution’

NEW DELHI: One of the billions of galaxies in the universe, the Milky Way has a special significance for humanity as it is the home galaxy of the Earth. To catch a glimpse of the Milky Way galaxy that is visible as a band of light in the night sky, the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators is organising a star party, “Milky Way Voyage”, at Nainital on March 7 and 8.

About 300 amateur astronomers from Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Siliguri, Kolkata and Jaipur would descend on Manora Peak to take a peek at the Milky Way galaxy. Armed with their own telescopes, astronomers will catch 149 deep star objects including galaxies, nebulae and globular clusters.

Described as a river that meanders in the sky, the Milky Way can also be viewed with the naked eyes from places where there is little or no light pollution. “Manora Peak looks like an island in the middle of a misty white soft sea. The sunset here is always a spectacular sight. At 6-16 p.m. the sun goes down but it always feels that you can see below the horizon from this high vantage point. Slowly the stars peek out. Two of them are not stars but Mars and Saturn. Andromeda Galaxy, Beehive, the Great Nebula all make an appearance,” said senior amateur astronomer Ajay Talwar at a press conference here on Monday.

Ajay said amateur astronomers were our eyes to the universe: “They discover comets, new asteroids, variable stars and monitor meteor showers. At Manora Peak that is 1,951 metres above the dust-laden atmosphere, amateur astronomers will also get to disseminate knowledge about the Milky Way galaxy among children.”

Shedding light on the Milky Way Voyage, SPACE president C. B. Devgun said the most wonderful spectacle in all of nature was the night sky, “yet most of the world seems unaware that we are losing this resource. More than 15 years ago, we could easily view Milky Way from Delhi but due to increasing light pollution, we now have to move away from the city.”

“In just a few years much of the night sky has literally disappeared and we are only slightly better off in India than most countries in this respect,” he added.

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