A date with astronomy in Puducherry

At night, the students observed celestial objects through the visitors’ telescope after watching the film, ‘Cosmic Collusions’

December 14, 2014 09:45 am | Updated 09:47 am IST - PUDUCHERRY

School students from Puducherry who went on a science tour organised by the Pondicherry Science Forum to the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Kavalur in Vellore district. Photo: Special Arrangement

School students from Puducherry who went on a science tour organised by the Pondicherry Science Forum to the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Kavalur in Vellore district. Photo: Special Arrangement

Making use of the favourable time for sky watching, 25 government school students and five teachers from Puducherry visited the Vainu Bappu Observatory located in the Jawadhu Hills, Kavalur, Vellore district on a science tour.

The tour was organised by the Pondicherry Science Forum (PSF), with support from the Department of Science, Technology and Environment.

The astronomical observatory is owned and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

Students went on a guided tour and got to see the 2.3m Vainu Bappu Telescope and were told about its contribution to the discoveries of minor planet 4130 Ramanujan, confirmation of planetary rings around Uranus in 1977 by C. Velu, Senior Research Assistant, said a release from PSF.

They were given insights into astronomy by Anbazhagan, engineer at the observatory. At night, the students observed celestial objects through the visitors’ telescope after watching the film, ‘Cosmic Collusions’.

Much awaited event The science tour to the Vainu Bappu Observatory, a regular activity, is a much-awaited event among young science enthusiasts of government schools.

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