100 Hours of Astronomy': Jantar Mantar

Updated on: Monday, April 06, 2009

New Delhi: Jantar Mantar, the 18th century observatory in the heart of the capital, was crowded with young students on Saturday as they got together to learn the use of astronomical instruments and celebrate 2009 as the international year of astronomy.

Aiming to create interest in astronomy as a fundamental science in daily life, the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) has been conducting '100 Hours of Astronomy' at the Jantar Mantar since Thursday.

The celebration, which will culminate on Sunday, saw school students being taught how to use astronomical instruments like sun dials and telescopes.

Shourya Aggarwal, a Class 7 student, said: "I am a part of the SPACE club at my school where we learn how to use a sun dial, a telescope and a lot more. The classes are very interactive and enjoyable. I wait every week for my astronomy class.

"I am enjoying the celebrations here since we have got a chance to learn how to use instruments that are more than 300 years old," he added.

In fact many astronomical instruments are still popular by their Indian names - samrat yantra (to measure time using sun's shadow), jai prakash yantra (to trace the earth's equator), mishra yantra, and ram yantra.

And the students learnt to use these.

"I am a part of the astronomy club in my school and I find it very interesting. We are a group of 46 students and we do activities like 'solar hunt' in the club. Today, we have learnt to calculate time by following the position of the sun's shadows using the samrat yantra," Shrishti, a Class 9 student, said.

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100 Hours of Astronomy': Jantar Mantar

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