The search for starlit skies

Known for its coffee and brave warriors, Kodagu district is slowly but steadily turning into a hub for stargazers, writes K S Girish

December to March is an ideal time for indulging in stargazing in Kodagu, and in recent years, it is during these months that a number of enthusiasts from across the state descend on Kodagu. Glued to their powerful telescopes, they enjoy viewing the starry sky and the astronomical wonders. 

Catering to this passion of amateur astronomers is the Bengaluru-based Bangalore Astronomical Society, a group of volunteers promoting astronomy as a hobby as well as science. By setting up telescopes at Bhagamandala and Talakaveri and hosting ‘stargazing parties’, the society provides an opportunity for people to observe, identify photograph and celebrate the celestial world.

Currently, the society has 20 to 30 volunteers and has around 2,000 followers online. Having started in 2020, the society has successfully conducted stargazing events in Kodagu for five consecutive years and has been receiving good responses from people.

With low pollution density and few artificial lights, the skies of Kodagu offer some of the best sites for skygazing in Karnataka. The skies here are generally clear between December and March, and thus, Kodagu witnesses a season of star parties in these four months. Visitors can see the celestial objects more clearly during a new moon day, and so this period is the peak of the season.

“Kodagu is quite close to the equator, so there are high chances of having a clear view of the celestial bodies of both the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere from Kodagu. This makes Kodagu one of the preferred sites for skygazing,” says Vishwanath of Bangalore Astronomical Society. 

Vishwanath adds that enthusiasts can either carry a telescope to the star parties on their own or arrangements are made for them to use the telescope of volunteers. The stargazing package costs around Rs 1,300 per day. 

The star parties are not being arranged for profit but to develop interest among people about astronomy and increase scientific temper, say society members.

First sighting

For most of those participating in these star parties, visiting Kodagu is an experience like never before. Some had bought telescopes to watch the night sky, but were disappointed as the stars and planets were not clearly visible. This is especially the case in urban areas where artificial lights and pollution block the line of sight. The satisfaction and happiness on people’s faces is unmatched when they see the planets, stars, galaxies and other fascinating celestial bodies using the same telescopes in Kodagu.

From Kodagu, our galaxy, the Milky Way, can be seen and photographed quite clearly. Not just this, the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy can also be seen with clarity. Some people carry high-tech telescopes which can capture sharp images of the various celestial bodies. These telescopes are equipped to replicate the quality of images taken by NASA or ISRO. Every good picture is celebrated like a festival.

“When compared to Bengaluru skies, celestial objects are 90% clearer when viewed from Bhagamandala,” says Vishwanath.

Usually, December is the time for meteor showers. Many astronomy enthusiasts visiting Kodagu during that time ditch their telescopes and spend the entire night watching these shooting stars with their naked eyes, appreciating the wonder.

It was due to this that the star parties arranged by the Bangalore Astronomical Society in Kodagu have been getting a good response. Around 80 people participated in the star party held last December while 70 people participated in January and 60 in February. More than 75 people were present at the star party held between March 8 and 12.

Not just the astronomical society, but even several resorts in Kodagu are offering facilities for skygazing which, in turn, is boosting astrotourism. 

While astrotourism is gaining popularity in Kodagu, government facilities are still at a nascent stage. It is just recently that the government identified land for establishing a planetarium and regional science centre in Kodagu.

(Translated by Divyashri Mudakavi)

Enthusiastic skywatchers

For Soumya Rahul, who is pursuing clinical research in Bengaluru, the star party that she attended in Kodagu in December last year was memorable. Along with her husband who is also interested in astrophotography, she spent the night counting nearly 400 meteors during the meteor shower.

According to Soumya, one need not have expert knowledge about astronomy to engage in skygazing. Beginners just need to have patience and spend time under the dark sky. Slowly, other attendees and amateur astronomers at the sky parties will help them observe the galaxies, read sky and star maps and use apps to help identify constellations.

Education content creator Aishwarya, who has been a part of some of the star parties for the last few years, says that the dark sky leaves her mesmerised.

An astronomy enthusiast points at stars in the night sky in Kodagu.

She also volunteers to hold some outreach programmes for schools where students are introduced to skygazing and some basic concepts of astronomy. The sessions also include information on potential careers in astronomy.

Aishwarya adds that these star parties are frequented by people from various walks of life, including engineers, teachers, architects and entrepreneurs.