Stargazers gear up to marvel at cosmic wonders of summer skies

Pune: Astronomy enthusiasts are gearing up to make most of the summer skies as the stargazing season kicks off.
Astronomy clubs are organizing trips to some of the best viewing spots in and around Pune and Mumbai to give enthusiasts a glimpse of the milky way, summer sky constellations, and even deep sky objects. "I have been reading a lot about constellations and have always been interested in astronomy. I am looking forward to being a part of the larger astronomy community in the city," said Soham Thomas, a Hadapsar resident.
Prachi Mehta, a resident of Kondhwa, did some stargazing in Ladakh last year and is keen to learn more about planets, stars, and constellations. "In Ladakh, the sky was so clear that we could see thousands of stars in the night sky from almost anywhere. I had no knowledge back then, but after I came back, I started reading up and now I'm keen to engage with experts this stargazing season," she said.
Sandip Shelar, who runs Stargazing Mumbai, will be taking almost 100-150 participants to Bhandardhara at the end of this month. "There is a partial solar eclipse on March 29, but it isn't visible from Pune. The summer sky has started, and we will be conducting our stargazing sessions to view the milky way. It can be shot via a mobile camera as well. We also conduct overnight stargazing sessions at Mahuli village," he said.
Many astronomy clubs will also be taking enthusiasts to the outskirts to view Lyrids meteor shower, which occurs annually between April 16 and 25, peaking around April 21-22. "The summer skies are the perfect time to view the bright arm of the milky way, and we will also be viewing constellations like Leo, Scorpio, and Virgo. During our stargazing sessions at Naneghat, we will be attempting to see 110 deep sky objects like nebula, Andromeda galaxy, and other star clusters," said Umesh Ghude, who runs Amateur Astronomy Club.
Deepak Choudhary, who organizes stargazing sessions in Bangalore through his club The Great Beyond, said that astronomy enthusiasts will be keen to see Saturn, which will rise in the morning skies from this month. "We will also be attempting to see constellations, meteor showers, and other deep space objects. However, all viewing happens on the outskirts of Bangalore," he said.
Pic courtesy: Amateur Astronomy Club