Indian Institute of Astrophysics opens doors to public on February 21

Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Astrophysics will celebrate National Science Day as IIA Open Day on February 21 from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm at its Koramangala campus.

The event is open to the public and entry is free.

The institute will host demonstrations and interactive experiments on astronomy and basic physics, along with films, photographs and walk-through exhibits on research at IIA and space sciences.

External organisations such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, VITM and amateur astronomy groups, besides astronomy entrepreneurs, will set up stalls.

Highlights include a tethered balloon demonstration, optics lab laser experiments, viewing of sunspots and solar spectra, exhibits on Gaganyaan, ancient Indian astronomy instruments, multi wavelength astronomy, atmospheric and optical phenomena, a walk-through space corridor, interaction with scientists, to-scale solar system model, measuring the size of the Sun, astronomy games for children, IIA archives with artefacts from the 1700s, sale of astronomy merchandise, and a science treasure hunt.

The Survey of India will also have exhibits at the adjacent campus.

There will be a public talk on the solar system at 11 am in Kannada by Pavan Gramapurohit; a Kannada science play at 12.30 pm; and a talk on merging stars at 3 pm in English by Annapurni Subramaniam. Periodic tours of the exhibits in Kannada will be organised.

Visitors can use limited parking inside the Survey of India quarters, Gate 2, next to Union Bank.