Astrophile - Starry Night

We are organizing an overnight stargazing session away from the polluted city skies, on the outskirts of Panvel, Navi Mumbai on Saturday March 2-3. We will be watching some of the prominent constellations in the night sky, moon, planets, many star clusters and nebulae. A powerful 8 inch diameter telescope along with other telescopes will be used to observe these. Join us and witness the wonders of the Universe!

The session will start with introduction and a short presentation about astronomy. We will then move to the observation field to observe Moon and its craters, Mars, a few star clusters, nebulae, Jupiter and Saturn through telescopes. We will wrap up the session with viewing of Venus and Moon during the dawn hours. The experts will be interacting with the attendees and answering questions throughout the night.

Space Geeks is a group of young researchers committed to giving value-added enrichment in Astronomy and Space Science to enthusiasts, especially in and around Mumbai. It was founded by Dr. Ankush Bhaskar (presently working at NASA), Chintamani Pai (University of Mumbai) and Dr. Virendra Yadav (Indian Institute of Geomagnetism). Our mission is to enhance and share a scientific understanding of the universe among enthusiasts. We have been actively involved in conducting stargazing and meteor shower observation sessions and public talks by prominent space scientists.

When & where:

Date: Saturday, 02/03/2019 to Sunday, 03/03/2019
Time: 6:00 pm to 6:00 am
Stargazing Venue: Vinoba Bhave Sarvoday Nisarg Upchar Kendra, Umroli, Panvel
Registration Fee: 1200/-, 10% discount for past attendees and groups of 3+

Meeting Point: Bank of India ATM at Panvel Railway station at 5:15 pm on Saturday, 02/03/2019

Inclusions:

• Transportation from Panvel Railway Station/S.T. Bus Depot to observation field and back.
• Food: Water bottle + Welcome snacks + Tea + Homemade simple vegetarian dinner + Tea throughout night
• Venue charges.
• Common hall for rest/stay.
• Printed resources (Night sky charts and study material)
• Demonstration and viewing through Telescopes

Itinerary:

• 5:15 pm: Reach meeting point.
• 5:30 pm: Head towards the venue.
• 6:00 - 6:30 pm: Welcome and evening snacks
• 6:30 - 7:00 pm: Observing Saturn
• 7:00 - 7:30 pm: Presentation about astronomy
• 7:30 - 9:30 pm: Stargazing session 1
• 9:30 - 11:00 pm: Dinner
• 11:00 - 12:30 am: Stargazing session 2
• 12:30 - 1:00 am: Tea break/Rest
• 1:00 - 3:00 am: Stargazing session 3
• 3:00 - 3:30 am: Tea break/Rest
• 3:30 - 6:00 am: Stargazing session 3
• 6:00 am: Group Photo, morning tea and snacks
• 6:30 am: Leave for Panvel

Instructions:

1. Participants are required to carry a valid identity proof during the event for their identity verification at the venue.
2. The venue is a community service center located in a village away from the city. A common hall will be available for resting for those who feel tired or sleepy. Washrooms are available. It gets very cold during the night at the venue. Please carry warm clothes and wear shoes. Caps and gloves are recommended. Please carry a small torch and a bedsheet.
3. Minors (< 18 year old) should be accompanied by an adult guardian. Minor and the guardian both need to be registered separately. Participants are discouraged from bringing kids younger than 5 year old for the session.
4. To and fro transportation between Panvel Railway Station/S.T. Bus Depot and the session venue has been arranged. In case you plan to come by personal vehicle please inform the organizers as there is limited parking space at the venue.
5. There will be no refund of registration fee in case of a cloudy sky or bad weather on the day of the event, making the night sky observation impossible.
6. In case the event is cancelled by the organizers due to some unavoidable reasons, there will be full refund of registration fee (minus the processing charges) to the respective participants.
7. In case of cancellation by the participant, they have to contact the organizers by 23:59 on February 28. In this case 50 % of the registration fee will be refunded. March 1 onward, no amount will be refunded.
8. You take full responsibility for your safety and well being during the trip and the session. You will be personally responsible for any valuables that you carry. Organizers are not liable for any casualties/loss/damage during the event.
9. Carry mosquito repellent. If you require any medication, please carry your own. If you have any severe medical issue, it is advisable that you do not participate.
10. Smoking and drinking are strictly prohibited.

Queries: Dr. Virendra Yadav (9920460659), Mr. Chintamani Pai (9773597589)

Space Geeks
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