A unique night sky watching programme and astronomy workshop was organised by the Krushna Chandra Mohanty Foundation, Kansa, Nilgiri in collaboration with the Pathani Samanta Planetarium and the Samanta Chandra Sekhara Amateur Astronomers’ Association (SCSAAA), Bhubaneswarat the KC High School, Nilgiri on Saturday night.
The programme, inaugurated by local Sub-Collector Sridhar Nayak, was attended by thousands of local people and school children. The programme included a two-hour-long lecture session followed by gazing the night sky with powerful telescopes.
The lectures were delivered by SCSAAA joint secretary Golaka Bihari Pradhan, young astronomer Prashanta Ku Das, eminent stargazer Nirakar Sahu, Purusottam Bal, among others. The programme was conducted by the headmaster of the school and convener of the Krushna Chandra Mohanty Foundation, Dr lekhasri Samantsinghar, Ratnakar Behera, Bijay Mohanty, Jayanta Mohapatra, Srinibas Pradhan, among others.
Students saw the moon, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn and other celestial bodies through telescopes in great detail. The students would be inspired by the event and look forward to being scientists and astronomers in future, said the speakers.
Shortly, several night sky programmes would be held in the Nilgiri area to educate schoolchildren, said the organisers.