FOR THE LOVE OF ASTRONOMY

Abha Nirula

Astronomy! It may sound a little unusual to talk about the stars in the middle of the day, but ask yourself, don’t you just love gazing at the sky on clear summer nights with the stars twinkling down? Or maybe you often wonder at what makes up the endless expanse of the universe. Or maybe all you want to see is a shooting start that will carry your wish to the heavens. Well, that’s the beauty of astronomy; it has most of us hooked at some level or another.

It seems I am as fascinated with the stars as Van Gogh was! 

I am not an astronomer and I have never studied physics, but that didn’t stop me from learning more about what lies out there. My introduction to astronomy happened when I joined an amateur club in school. The club had around 30-40 members, ready to venture out and explore the universe with sky maps and planispheres. With each session we would unravel some phenomenon or the other, learn the fables behind the constellations and became ever more eager to gain knowledge. I still remember the awe I felt when I saw the Orion Nebula through a telescope for the first time. I even learnt how to hunt asteroids from my backyard!  (Not literally!)

The best part of the programme was the post-session discussion. We would discuss the perils of global catastrophic events or tally how many planets we had spotted or just mention the breathtaking sight of the Milky Way. My list of such experiences is very long. Though I was part of the club very long time ago,  the memories still remain vivid. Even today, I am hooked to Astronomy, and whenever I see a clear sky (which is rare now because of light pollution) I pull out my sky map and try to see how many constellations I remember.

Astronomy has enriched me with knowledge and made me more aware of our surroundings. For those of you who are fascinated with the universe, it’s never late! Stars are better than TV stars any day!