13th State-Level Astronomical Conference Concludes at Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park and Taarangan
The conference was inaugurated by Shekhar Singh, the Commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, with the guidance of Praveen Tupe, Founder and Director of Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park, and with the best wishes of the governing body of the Science Park. The event was graced by special guests Hemant Watwe, Chairman and Managing Director of Wilo Mather & Platt, Pune; senior astronomer and President of Marathi Astronomical Research Group, D. K. Somn, Science Park directors Prashant Patil and Sarang Oak; senior astronomer Hemant Mone; CEO of the Science Park, Nandkumar Kasar; and scientific officer Sonal Thorwe.
Prominent speakers, including Dr. Bharat Adur, Dr. Yogesh Waddekar, Sarang Oak, Srinivas Aundhkar, Sachin Malegaonkar, Aniruddha Deshpande, Dr. Leena Bokil, Mayuresh Prabhune, Sudhir Phakatkar, Suresh Chopne, Mangesh Sutar, Sonal Thorwe, and Neha Neveskar, provided insights into various topics in astronomy. Additionally, a collaborative project between Science Park and ISER Pune, “Kalpakhghar,” presented practical science demonstrations by Ankush Tirpude and his team. Participants were also given a special tour of the Science Park’s Taarangan and other facilities.
Senior astronomy outreach expert Dr. Nivas Patil was honored with the Jeev Gaurav Award for his continuous contributions to the field.
The conference also featured an exhibition of the works of renowned astronomer Venkatesh Bapuji Ketkar, who, in 1911, predicted the existence of a planet called ‘Brahma’ based on mathematical calculations. His works were displayed with the assistance of his grandson, Raghunath Ketkar. In the same orbit where ‘Brahma’ was predicted, Pluto was later discovered in 1930.
The conference saw participation from astronomers across the state, including from Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, Satara, Chandrapur, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Beed, Mumbai city, and suburbs. Representatives from various amateur astronomical observer organizations across the state also attended. The conference was successfully organized with the dedicated help of Sunil Pote from Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park, Mallappa Kasture from Pimpri Chinchwad Taarangan, Uttam Jagtap, and all educational and workshop colleagues.
