Lecture series on astronomy

Ever wondered how distances between stars are calculated, or how stars and planets evolve, or what exactly is the sun made up of?

Here’s some good news for skywatchers, especially those who plan to have a strong base in astronomy before they start looking through a telescope. The Amateur Astronomers Organisation, Kerala, (Aastro) is joining hands with the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM) for conducting a lecture series that extends over a year.

The series will cover a wide range of topics related to astronomy including the universe, solar system, origin and evolution of stars, the sun, celestial coordinates, time and calendar, spectroscopy, telescopes, celestial mechanics, distance measurement in astronomy and particle physics.

In addition to this, the organisers are also planning to conduct sessions on skywatching, telescope and sundial making and quiz programmes.

The series was to have been inaugurated on Thursday with a lecture on ‘Social Relevance of Astronomy Today,’ but it was postponed owing to the statewide harthal. Aastro officials said the new date will be announced shortly.