SRINAGAR: NIT-Srinagar is set to open a dedicated Observatory for Astronomy and Astrophysics equipped with a 14-inch advanced telescope, with the facility scheduled to be inaugurated on Tuesday.
The observatory, known as the NIT-Srinagar Observatory for Astronomy and Astrophysics (NSOAA), is expected to make the institute the first National Institute of Technology in the country to establish a dedicated campus-based observatory of this kind, according to the institute.
The centrepiece of the facility is a 14-inch Celestron C14 EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, equipped with a computerised equatorial mount and specialised astronomical imaging equipment.
The telescope provides flat-field, aberration-free images and will support advanced astrophotography and planetary observation. The equipment includes planetary and cooled deep-sky cameras, LRGB filters, a 2.5x Barlow lens and high-speed imaging capabilities.
The setup will enable observations ranging from the Moon and planets to nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies, the institute said.
The facility is being developed with scientific guidance and collaboration involving the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.
Dr Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, Scientist F and Head of the Science Communication, Public Outreach and Education (SCOPE) Section at IIA, is associated with the initiative as an advisor and collaborator.
NIT-Srinagar said the observatory is intended to bring advanced observational astronomy to the campus and provide a platform for students, researchers and the wider community to engage directly with the night sky.
Professor Prince Ahmad Ganai, Head of the Department of Physics at NIT-Srinagar and the lead behind the project, said the initiative was aimed at taking students beyond theoretical learning.
“Our aim is to create a space where students can move beyond theoretical learning and engage directly with astronomical observations, data and scientific inquiry,” Ganai said.
He said the observatory was expected to encourage curiosity and research and help develop a stronger culture of astronomy and astrophysics in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Ganai, NSOAA is envisaged not merely as a telescope facility but as a centre for experiential science education, astrophotography, observational projects, student training and astronomy outreach.
The facility will give students an opportunity to acquire and analyse astronomical data instead of learning astronomy only through books and simulations, he said.
The institute also plans to extend the observatory’s activities beyond its campus. Ganai said it could potentially serve as a regional hub connecting schools, colleges, universities and science enthusiasts across Jammu and Kashmir with modern astronomy.
Regular sky-observation programmes, student workshops, teacher-training activities and public viewing sessions are being considered as part of the outreach programme.
NIT-Srinagar is also mulling the introduction of a hands-on course in Astronomy and Astrophysics in the coming months. Special sessions for schools, colleges and universities in the Valley are proposed as part of the outreach programme.
The observatory would place NIT-Srinagar among a relatively small number of Indian technical institutions with substantial campus-based astronomical observatories.
The institute cited IIT-Kanpur, which operates a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain astronomical observatory with CCD imaging and remote-operation capabilities.
The NSOAA is scheduled to be inaugurated on Tuesday, marking the formal beginning of the institute’s dedicated initiative in observational astronomy and astrophysics.
