A morning feast for astronomy enthusiasts

It was an unusual sight at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on T Chowdiah Road early morning Saturday. As Bengalureans were deep asleep, more than 100 astronomy enthusiasts and kids flocked to the planetarium to catch a glimpse of various planets of the solar system.

What initially began as a small event at 4.00 am, soon turned into something big, with several people along with their kids descending on the planetarium for the ‘Sky Watch’ programme organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium along with the Association of Bangalore Amateur Astronomers (ABAA). As the event coincided with the summer holidays, kids turned up in big numbers for the event.

Speaking to DH, Pramod Galgali, Director of the Planetarium, said, “The event was organised as Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are visible in the morning sky. Though it is possible to see these planets during the day, they can be best seen during the morning sky. Hence the event was organised early in the morning from 4.00 am till the sunrise.”

The free event was attended by several astronomy enthusiasts and students. Vikas, a student from Vasanth Nagar, said he was “thrilled” to see the planets for the first time.

“Even though I had seen them in television documentaries, watching them through the telescope was indeed a different experience. I enjoyed the programme besides getting to know some unknown facts about sky watching,” he said.

The different telescopes for public viewing were arranged by the members of the ABAA. The organisers were hopeful that the event will attract more visitors.

“A few months ago, we had organised a similar event and it was attended by a huge crowd,” Galgali said.