The Department of Physics at
Gauhati University, along with the GU Observatory, organized an event called
"Aligning Wanderers" on January 25, 2025, at the university
observatory. The event started at 5:30 PM and aimed to give students and
faculty a chance to observe the night sky through advanced telescopes and clear
up common myths about space. Hundreds of students and faculty members attended
the event, where they not only got to see different celestial bodies but also learned
the basics of astronomy.
Dr. Sanjeeb Kalita, an assistant
professor from the Department of Physics, led the event along with his team. He
welcomed the audience and asked everyone to cooperate to make the program a
success. Using a powerful Galilean telescope, the audience got a chance to view
four planets—Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. Despite the sky being cloudy and
dusty for the past few days, students patiently waited in long lines, eager to
catch a clear view of the planets. Seeing them with my own eyes was an
incredible experience, something I had only read about before.
The Gauhati University
Observatory, established in 1990, has been organizing such observation programs
for several years. These events aim to educate people through practical
experiences and explain how the planetary system works.
During the event, Dr. Kalita gave
a talk about various topics such as the scale of the solar system, the
contributions of Copernicus, the arrangement of planets, the celestial sphere,
planetary movements, and more.
Seeing Jupiter's moons, Saturn's
rings, Mars' red surface, and the phases of Venus fascinated everyone. Even
students from non-science backgrounds showed great interest, proving that
science is for everyone. The event included two main activities: observing the
planets through telescopes and a live sky simulation session.
Personally, it was an amazing
experience to see the planets that I had only heard myths about before. The
connection of these planets with mythology and traditional beliefs made me even
more curious to witness them myself. I am truly grateful to the organizers and
especially to Dr. Bharati Bharali from the Department of Communication and
Journalism for giving us the opportunity to attend such an enlightening event.
-Sudip Das, MA 2nd Semester, DCJGU
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