Astronomical adventures in India

[JeremyS]

I have been a bit quieter than normal on SGL the last few months. I have recently returned from a 3-month work assignment in Bangalore, India. I had to get out 10 days earlier than planned due to restrictions around Covid 19, arriving home on Tues night, but that’s another story!

Bangalore is located 13° north of the equator and I was keen to make use of the location to explore more southerly skies. These were already quite familiar to me, as I lived in Singapore for several years which is more or less on the equator – plus I’ve been to Australia and New Zealand on observing excursions. So I was looking for to getting reacquainted. Unfortunately, Bangalore (population about 14 million) and Singapore have one other factor in common: they are both heavily light polluted. I took with me my travel scope: a Takahashi FC 76 DCU.

Bangalore in the winter months experiences temperatures up to 30°C in the middle of the day, dropping to 18°C at dawn. The pleasant climate is also helped by its 920m of altitude. However, temperatures start to increase during March, as does the dust haze due to the dryness.
I was staying on the eleventh floor of an apartment block, with a south westerly facing balcony, and from there I did most of my observing. Orion transits almost overhead, with Sirius just below and Canopus further south of that. Most evenings I observed Venus, following its shrinking phase, but I could never spot any details. Observations of nebulae were challenging of course, with the light pollution, but star clusters, especially in Puppis, were excellent.

Getting away from the light pollution

Although I was able to get out of Bangalore city to the 1500m high hill stations of the Nandi Hills, 2 hours north, the best skies I encountered were on a trip to south Goa during February. Goa is on the west coast of India, overlooking the Arabian Sea. Watching the sunset was awe-inspiring as Venus became visible in the darkening sky, then Mercury which, fortuitously, was near maximum elongation. Many of the locals on the beach didn’t know what these two objects were and were amazed when they found out. An hour or two after sunset, there was a faint elongated glow in the west. This was not light pollution as there was no land for the next 3000 km. It was, of course, the zodiacal light; only the second time I have seen this phenomenon.

Again, the 76mm Tak travelscope came in handy, but perhaps the most enjoyable views were with a pair of 2.1 x 42 Vixen binoculars. These have a very wide field of view, allowing whole constellations to be viewed, but they also boost the limiting magnitude by about 1.5 magnitudes compared to the naked eye view. Perfect for scanning the Milky Way down through Carina.

Bangalore Planetarium

Established in 1989, the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in central Bangalore is one of the five planetaria in India named after the country’s first prime minister. The Bangalore Planetarium is administered by the Bangalore Association for Science Education, which is tasked with popularising scientific subjects among the public, especially children. It has a Zeiss projector.

The planetarium complex also has an observatory dome housing a 15 cm Zeiss refactor on a Coudé mount, equipped for visual, CCD and spectroscopic observation. Its location right in the city centre means that it is really only suitable for observing brighter objects – and of course the Moon is stunning through it, much to the delights of the visiting public.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) 

Bangalore hosts the headquarters of the IIA, the country’s main research institute for astronomy and astrophysics. The IIA has its origins in the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, some 450 km south of Bangalore. This observatory, which is still active and is part of the IIA, was established in 1899. One of its early directors was John Evershed (1864 –1956) who was the first to observe radial motions in sunspots, a phenomenon now known as the Evershed effect. John was a founder member of the BAA. He worked at Kodaikanal with his wife, Mary Acworth Evershed (née Orr; 1867 –1949). Mary was an accomplished astronomer in her own right, as well as a Dante scholar. She was also the first Director of the BAA Historical Section, from 1930 to 1944. Mary and John met on the 1896 BAA expedition to a total solar eclipse in Norway. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to visit Kodaikanal as its rather difficult to access, involving a 9 hour car trip over challenging roads. Another time, perhaps!

However, I did have the honour of making contact with Professor G. C. Anupama who is Dean of the IIA and Professor-in-charge of the Indian Astronomical Observatory. This observatory hosts several instruments including the 2m optical-infrared Himalayan Chandra Telescope, located at 4,500m altitude near the border with China and Tibet. This telescope is operated remotely from Bangalore. 

Professor Anupama is currently President of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), the first woman to head this association of professional astronomers since it was formed in 1972. We took the opportunity of exchanging greetings between the BAA and the ASI.

Prof Anupama’s research interests include supernovae and cataclysmic variables, such as novae and dwarf novae. In fact, we both have our names (along with over 70 other joint authors!) on two papers on the 2016 eruption of the recurrent nova in M31 known as M31N 2008-12a. Small world! I have suggested that if she sees any projects that the BAA Variable Star Section might become involved with, then we would be keen to assist.

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

During a business trip to New Delhi, I visited the Jantar Mantar observatory. Between 1727 and 1734 Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur built five astronomical observatories in west-central India, all known by the name Jantar Mantar, which means “calculation instrument”. The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.

The Delhi Jantar Mantar has four main architectural structures built of stone and marble. The largest of which is the Samrat Yantra, or Supreme Instrument, which is a sundial, the gnomon of which is some 39 m along the hypotenuse. The Misra Yantra (or “mixed instrument”) was used to determine the shortest and longest days of the year and to calculate the exact moment of noon in various Indian cities. Meanwhile, a circular structure looking something like a miniature Colosseum, known as the Rama Yantra, was used to measure the altitude of stars

Jantar Mantar’s sighting devices were designed for use with the naked eye, even though Jai Singh did possess a number of telescopes; the first recorded use of a telescope in India was in 1618.
 

[JeremyS]

The view from my balcony in  Whitefield, Bangalore, showing Venus

[JeremyS]

Bangalore Planetarium

 

Edited March 20, 2020 by JeremyS

[JeremyS]

 

Venus at sunset in Goa

Edited March 20, 2020 by JeremyS

[JeremyS]

 

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

 

[JeremyS]

Tak FC 76 DCU in its travel bag. I went on several international and domestic flights in India and not once was it pulled up.

The only incident I had was when I was leaving Port Blair airport in the Andaman Islands. The scanner showed something strange so the Army guy queried it. Turned out to be my binos

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2020 by JeremyS

[andrew s]

Great report and pictures @JeremyS I suspect you will be grounded for a while now.

Regards Andrew 

[laudropb]

Very nice report and some lovely photos Jeremy. Brought back some happy memories. I was in India for 2 months 35years ago helping to set up an Electron  Microscope unit for the WHO. I was more interested in birdwatching in those days, but Ido remember the amazing night skies I seen when at the hill stations.

 

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, andrew s said:

Great report and pictures @JeremyS I suspect you will be grounded for a while now.

Regards Andrew 

Yup, no international or domestic travel for the foreseeable future, Andrew

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, laudropb said:

Very nice report and some lovely photos Jeremy. Brought back some happy memories. I was in India for 2 months 35years ago helping to set up an Electron  Microscope unit for the WHO. I was more interested in birdwatching in those days, but Ido remember the amazing night skies I seen when at the hill stations.

 

That's interesting. Was that in Delhi?

[laudropb]

Yes. The biggest cause of infantile death in India was Rotavirus. At that time it could only be detected using EM. I was in charge of the EM unit at the Regional Virus lab in Glasgow and was asked to help set up a unit . 

 

[Roy Challen]

Thanks for that Jeremy, brings up memories of my trip there in 2018. The Jantar Mantar complex was one of the only clean places I went to in India, so was memorable for that alone. Didn't do any observing at all, far too much air and light pollution.

[JeremyS]

7 hours ago, Roy Challen said:

Thanks for that Jeremy, brings up memories of my trip there in 2018. The Jantar Mantar complex was one of the only clean places I went to in India, so was memorable for that alone. Didn't do any observing at all, far too much air and light pollution.

Yes, I noticed how clean it was, Roy. Same with some other heritage sites. Mind you I was there just before the visit of Trump.

[mikeDnight]

Great write up & great pic's Jeremy. And that 76 is sweet!

[JeremyS]

2 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Great write up & great pic's Jeremy. And that 76 is sweet!

Thanks Mike. When I bought the Tak FC 76 DCU a couple of years ago I didn't realise it was going to get quite so much use!

[F15Rules]

On 20/03/2020 at 21:12, JeremyS said:

Thanks Mike. When I bought the Tak FC 76 DCU a couple of years ago I didn't realise it was going to get quite so much use!

Lovely travel scope Jeremy, and great travel write up, thank you! Two questions..

1. Will you take your ES 34mm on your next trip with the FC76?

2. Have you got a handle for the scope?? If not, I believe @johninderby can advise...

Sorry..🤣😈

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Lovely travel scope Jeremy, and great travel write up, thank you! Two questions..

1. Will you take your ES 34mm on your next trip with the FC76?

2. Have you got a handle for the scope?? If not, I believe @johninderby can advise...

Sorry..🤣😈

I tend to limit myself to 1.25-inch EPs when travelling, Dave.

i think I can handle the scope without @johninderby 

🤣

[Stu]

Finally had a chance to read this one Jeremy, have had it open on a page on my phone since you posted it. Fascinating report, and what interesting places to visit with much history. Loved the photos too.

I really enjoyed my Tak 76DC split tube too, very portable and lovely sharp optics.

Thanks for writing it up!

[JeremyS]

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

I really enjoyed my Tak 76DC split tube too, very portable and lovely sharp optics.

Only trouble is, Stu, the cute little Tak wanted a big sister. I wonder what the postman thread will bring 🤔

Edited March 31, 2020 by JeremyS

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Only trouble is, Stu, the cute little Tak wanted a big sister. I wonder what the postman thread will bring 🤔

Exactly the route I went down! That’s why the FC100 annoys me sometimes. It makes many other smaller and larger scope redundant so reduces the excuses for owning them!