As we, the citizen scientists and student members at the Akash Ganga Centre for Astronomy (AGCA), Thane, gazed at the Supermoon on Monday, November 14 2016, when the moon reached its perigee (closest to the Earth) at 4:52 pm, it was a poignant thought that the next Supermoon of this magnitude will happen after 18 years on 25 November 2034.
On 14 November 2016, the moon appeared up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than the normal moon, as the moon was closest to the Earth at 1:39 p.m.at a distance of around 350,000 km.
The significance of AGCA
Today, there is dire need for proper education in astronomy along with practical knowledge. This is especially so for students who have or are pursuing studies in Science, Commerce, Arts or for that matter the professional in engineering, doctors, and other areas. Many of them are interested in astronomy, but unfortunately unaware how they can contribute to Science.
It is pertinent to note that in India, Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman or C.V. Raman, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for his pioneering work on scattering of light. Born in Tiruchirapalli on 7 November 1888, he was the first Indian, then Asian, and first non-White to receive any Nobel Prize in the sciences. During those times, a scientific career did not appear to present the best possibilities, and Raman joined the Indian Finance Department in 1907; though the duties of his office took most of his time, Raman found opportunities for carrying on experimental research in the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at Calcutta (Kolkata), going on to his brilliant discovery. Before his death on 21 November 1970, Raman told his students, “Do not allow the journals of the Academy to die, for they are the sensitive indicators of the quality of Science being done in the country and whether science is taking root in it or not.” Though today we have prime institutions in the country, we have not managed to win a single Nobel Prize for the sciences.
The evolution of AGCA
It is with these thoughts, that the Akash Ganga Centre for Astronomy was founded in 2004, which has today evolved from the needs of several amateur astronomers’ groups, planetaria, and astronomical institutes in the country. We felt that basic observational astronomy has taken a back seat. Astronomy is taught at a very preliminary level at school, and thereafter, there is no formal teaching in astronomy education using observation as a learning tool.
AGCA is an open platform for its members from any subject be it arts, science, medicine, engineering or any other faculty. The basic criteria for admission as its member is that one has to be 12th standard pass.Registered members are encouraged to participate and work in the following programmes:
Meteors & Meteorites Study Group (M&MSG): Regular meteor observations train observers round the year in visual, radio and spectral observational programmes. A Meteoritic Lab has already been developed for analysing the so-called meteorites, impactites, breccia, shatter cones and tektites. Standard meteoritic kit is available for calibration. Meteor/Meteorite software is available for any analyses. Radio Meteor Studies have been started from December 2008; radio antenna is already ready for testing, analysis and reduction. Regular meteor studies are conducted by its members. All-Sky Meteor Camera is proposed to be set up soon, and will be made available for day time/night time observations.
Telescope making: Courses on telescope making are being conducted regularly. Advanced courses in telescope making are conducted on request. Efforts are made to develop GOTO drive and develop telescope software. Effort is also made to bring fibre optics, Fabry-Perot, interferometer, spectrometer techniques for planetary work.
Planetary Section (PLANSEC): Studies of Inner/Outer planets are planned from the coming season. This will be done with its own Celestron 130mm Maksutov- Advanced GT, along with its accessories. CCD camera is used for this observation.
Asteroid/Comet Section (ASCOSEC): Initially, the brighter asteroids are to be studied especially their shape, magnitude and their rotation. Later, their spectral identification will also be required. With a larger telescope, AGCA hopes to start its Near Earth Asteroid Programme (NEAP).
Solar Section (SOLSEC): Transit of Mercury on the surface of the Sun on 9 May 2016 was observed from Luna village, and was conducted in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Planetarium/ Astronomy Dept., Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. A Solar Coelostat 8″ is being planned next. It is clear that the interest amongst students has gone up, yet a sense of commitment and dedication is still needed.
For many citizen scientists, it is a new way of studying science. Many try to look upon it as “Midnight star party”. For some citizen scientists and students, it is still a novel idea. But they are happy that there is some non-formal teaching centre for them.
[/column][column size=”4/5″]
Bharat Adur
Bharat Adur is Director, Akash Ganga Centre for Astronomy (AGCA), Badlapur, since 2003. He worked at Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai, as Senior Scientist for 27 years. He has worked at several observatories in India and abroad. He has been writing articles in science magazines like Science Today, Science Age and other newspapers. [/column]