Kerala's growing love for astronomy: From stargazing clubs to NASA aspirations

As the world marks Space Week (Oct 4-10), TNIE zooms the telescope in on Kerala’s amateur skygazing clubs
Aastro Kerala provides a platform where space enthusiasts can come together to explore the night skies.
Aastro Kerala provides a platform where space enthusiasts can come together to explore the night skies.
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6 min read

KOCHI: Carl Sagan often reminded fans that it wasn’t about us but what we were made of: the granular element that some people call ‘stardust’. It’s a sentiment that captured imaginations across the globe, including in Kerala, where a thriving astronomy community has emerged.

From stargazing clubs to public events, Malayalis are embracing their curiosity about the cosmos in increasing numbers, driven by a love for discovery and the thrill of uncovering the mysteries of the universe.

“I am a huge Saganist,” says V S Shyam, calling the legendary American astrophysicist “an inspiration” behind him setting up the Amateur Astronomers Organisation (Aastro Kerala) in Thiruvananthapuram in 2009, which had been declared as the international year of astronomy.

“The city has always had a strong connection with astronomy and space — as far back as 1836-37. The first observatory in the state, and probably one of the first in modern India, was set up here. It is now managed by the University of Kerala.”

Aastro Kerala provides a platform where space enthusiasts can come together to explore the night skies. The talk sessions and the camps it organises have been a huge hit with youngsters.

One of their participants, Athira Preetha Rani, was recently picked up by Nasa for its astronaut training programme.

“She was a regular. She took up space science and ran a start-up, Exo Geo Aerospace in Canada before Nasa came calling. Now, she is all set to be the third Indian-origin woman in space, after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams,” Shyam adds.

“Interest is growing, especially after milestones like India’s Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan missions.”

Students of IISER viewing the partial solar eclipse of October 25, 2022
Students of IISER viewing the partial solar eclipse of October 25, 2022(Photo | Express)

Ring of fire

Indeed. In Kochi, the Cochin Science and Astronomy Club, founded by chartered accountant Manu Philip, has seen a similar rise in participation. A pivotal moment for the club, and for Kerala’s astronomy enthusiasts at large, was the ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse in December 2019.

On the day, thousands of people flocked to open spaces in their vicinity to witness a rare celestial event. Never before in recent memory had Kerala seen such a surge of public interest in an astronomical phenomenon. “It was unprecedented,” recalls Manu.

Driving this enthusiasm were various institutions and local astronomy enthusiasts, who made elaborate arrangements to ensure easy public viewing of the solar eclipse, which was fully visible in northern Kerala and partially elsewhere.

One such venue was the temporary observation centre at Durbar Hall Ground, set up by the Kerala chapter of the Breakthrough Science Society. “The excitement was palpable. The organisers had set up a telescope here for viewing. It was my first time seeing such a thing,” says Cochin Science and Astronomy Club member Raju Nair, who initially attended the event “for the snacks” but eventually got “mesmerised by the magic”.

Soon after, the Cochin Science and Astronomy Club began holding regular meetings, drawing participants from across Kerala.

“The idea for the club stemmed from my passion for astronomy and stargazing, which began in my school days,” says Manu. “Eventually, I connected with others who shared this interest — one of whom had even turned his house into a mini-observatory,” Manu says.

During an astro camp held at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, T’Puram
During an astro camp held at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, T’Puram (Photo | Express)

Tryst with Palakkad

Sadly, the urban skies are not ideal for skywatching, he adds. This is perhaps why many now flock to Ahalia Campus in Palakkad, which boasts a buzzing astronomy club.

“It was started in 2020 by Dr Sriganesh Sankaranarayanan, an orthopaedic surgeon with a deep interest in astronomy,” says Dhanesh S, an engineering professor at Ahalia and a club member.

Today, this community has over 300 enthusiasts and four telescopes. “Anyone interested is welcome to join. We have members coming from as far as Coimbatore and Kochi for stargazing. We run events year-round. Save for, of course, the monsoon months,” says Dhanesh.

Not far from the campus, in Edappal, Sukumaran, another astronomy enthusiast, has turned his modest home into a haven for young learners. “This grew out of my passion; I have not been formally educated in this subject,” he says.

“I have built several working models (of the cosmos) here as part of my effort to cultivate scientific temperament among children.”

Thanks to its clear skies, Palakkad has recently become a hub for astronomy and stargazing enthusiasts in Kerala.

The cornerstone

Student-run initiatives make up the cornerstone for the now burgeoning interest in astronomy and related affairs in Kerala. Nowhere is this more evident than at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram. Astro-CET, the institution’s astronomy club, regularly hosts stargazing events and has seen a growing membership in recent years.

Astro-CET members during a skywatch session
Astro-CET members during a skywatch session(Photo | Express)

“Astro-CET is now setting up a technical wing where it plans to develop telescopes,” says Naveen Varma, the club’s chairperson.

“We have also embarked on a project to refurbish the planetarium that was set up on our premises in 1975. It has been dysfunctional since 2011.”

There are also community forums and WhatsApp groups on cosmology. A popular one is Cosmology run by Ashwin Satheesh, a BTech student.

“We started with just a few people. The idea was to talk about space and space events. Soon, the community began attracting several people. In three years, the community has grown to five groups with a membership of more than 4,000,” he says.

Notably, Nova, a gathering of space enthusiasts held in collaboration with various clubs and institutions, has become a key event in Kerala’s astronomy calendar, encouraging interaction between enthusiasts and professionals. The venue keeps changing every year.

Beyond clubs

Beyond amateur clubs, Kerala is home to larger institutions like the Regional Science Centre and Planetarium in Kozhikode, which has been running an astronomy

club since 2002. “We bridge the gap between enthusiasts and the equipment, fostering a personal connection with the skies,” explains Jayant Ganguly, a senior technician at the facility.

The club holds weekly programmes on astronomy and science, often drawing a full house. “We have eight telescopes and various stargazing tools, which attract scholars and enthusiasts from all over,” Jayant adds.

Clearer skies are a natural advantage for institutions such as IISER and IIST which are located on the outskirts of the capital city.

“We organise night-sky watches for schools in our vicinity. One such session was organised at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Palode. The typical time for night sky watch is from December to March,” says Dr Vinayak B Kamble, assistant professor, School of Physics, IISER.

The premier institute’s astro club, Parsec, also organises stargazing events.

Not just for scholars

“Part of this recent surge in interest for everything astronomy is due to its democratisation,” says Raju, of the Cochin Science and Astronomy Club.

“It’s no longer just for scientists and scholars. Stargazing has become woven into tourism and hospitality, sustaining public interest,” he adds.

Indeed, stargazing in Kerala is also becoming an integral part of the cultural fabric. During the recent Global Science Festival of Kerala, visitors were given the chance to camp out under the stars in Thonnakkal, experiencing the night sky away from the city’s light pollution.

Another attraction is astrophotography for which the sign-up is high in number. “We organise tutorial sessions. Apart from students, techies sign up for this more. They have sophisticated equipment, which can be put to good use. But our aim is to train enthusiasts to shoot with the gadget they have,” says Shyam, of Aastro Kerala.

“We often travel to the outskirts for clearer skies. We organise camps to places such as Vithura, Nedumangad, Kulathupuzha, Vembayam, Pothencode, etc.”

One such astrophotographer and Aastro member, Kannur-based K A Rohit, clicked the C/2023 A3 comet when it reached the sun’s closest approach on September 2, 2024.

To new horizons

“Bad skies are a dampener for most stargazing plans but still we bring out our telescope twice a month and pitch tents at nights,” says Sneha Arvind, coordinator of Astral, the astronomy club of Government Engineering College, Thrissur.

“If not the rare finds of Venus or Saturn rings, we at least make do with the all-so common moon.”

There are also astrophotography contests to buoy the interest of the community. “There is an aspect of creativity,” says Astro-CET’s Naveen. “We

are not particular about the specifications. The idea is to encourage interest in the cosmos. The discoveries can come later.”

As Shyam puts it, “Love for astronomy can inspire. And inspiration can lead to discoveries.”

In Kerala, that love is spreading, connecting people with the cosmos and perhaps leading the way to new revelations about our place in the universe.

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