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Campaign on approach of comet ISON

By PRANJAL BHUYAN

GUWAHATI, July 16 � A comprehensive plan has been chalked out by the State government to involve students and other segments of the population in the nationwide �Communication Science Campaign� during the approach of comet ISON, dubbed as the comet of the century.

Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) director H C Dutta told The Assam Tribune that a series of mass programmes are on the anvil including lectures and telescopic observations of ISON for students and science enthusiasts at the Aryabhatta Science Centres.

�We have already purchased telescopes for distribution to all the Aryabhatta Science Centres located in 219 development blocks of the State. We will provide free demonstrations during the approach of the comet so that students and astronomy enthusiasts can have a first-hand experience of such a major celestial event,� Dutta said.

He added that the efforts are on to rope in schools and other educational institutions, NGOs and science promotion outfits. A regional � level workshop with participants from all the eastern and north-eastern States will be organised at the Guwahati Planetarium on August 23-25.

The 14th All India People�s Science Congress (AIPSC) at Lucknow in February and the All India People�s Science Network (AIPSN) executive committee meeting held at New Delhi in April decided to organize the Communication Science Campaign during the approach of the comet.

�Accordingly, a national-level workshop was held in April at Mumbai. It was decided to hold three national workshops at Guwahati, Bhopal and Bangalore. The Guwahati workshop will be for participants from the seven northeastern States, besides Sikkim, West Bengal and Odisha,� Dutta said.

Around 50 participants, including noted astronomers, are expected to take part in the Guwahati workshop.

Besides ASTEC and Guwahati Planetarium, the other local organizers are GVS Assam, the Assam Science Society, Ellora Vigyan Manch and the Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomer Association.

�After the workshop, each State will chalk out details regarding activities in their own place,� Dutta said.

Comet ISON was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. The comet will be visible from the Earth from September this year to January next year.

According to the website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), �On November 28, 2013, this �dirty snowball� will fly through the Sun�s atmosphere little more than a million km from the stellar surface. If the comet survives, it could emerge as brightly as the Moon, briefly visible near the Sun in broad daylight,� NASA said.

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