A village school in Kozhikode is all set to celebrate National Science Day on Saturday in a unique fashion — by setting up a sky observatory at the school and holding an exhibition of light images from the space.
The GoTo Dobsonian Telescope imported from China has already reached the school and the organisers are busy setting up the exhibition, T.P. Dinesan, Principal of Palora Higher Secondary School at Ulliyeri in the district, says.
The exhibition is being organised jointly by the Astronomy Club of the school and Astro Kerala, a State-wide forum of space enthusiasts. Finance for the event, including for purchasing the telescope, was donated by a former student of the school under a scheme ‘Maatruvidyalayathinu Oru Kaineettam,’ the Principal says.
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The programme assumes greater significance as the United Nations (UN) is observing 2015 as International Year of Light (IYL), science movement activist and State president of Astro Kerala M.P.C. Nambiar says. The initiative is aimed at raising awareness of the achievements of light science and spreading caution against the rampant misuse of light, which has far-reaching implications for the Earth.
The phenomenon of light, Mr. Nambiar says, has played an important role in the history and evolution of human beings. “The overuse and abuse of light by the mankind, which has caused a major hindrance for sky observations and space studies, is another important thing the world is discussing now,” he said.
The light image exhibition, which comprises numerous photographs taken from internationally acclaimed space organisations and various space observatories, is also expected to spread awareness against the abuse of light, which has serious implications for life on earth, Mr. Nambiar says.
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According to him, Palora Higher Secondary School is one of the two educational institutes in the country to hold a light image exhibition on National Science Day with the support of Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), an international forum of astronomers, the other being a college in Maharashtra. The school Principal can be contacted at ph: 9846323924.