Reported by: Roopak Goswami
Guwahati: Over 600 astronomers, researchers, students and science communicators from India and abroad have gathered at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati for the 44th Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), marking the return of the country's largest astronomy conference to the Northeast after nearly three decades.
The five-day conference was inaugurated on Friday in the presence of ASI president Prof. Devendra Ojha and IIT Guwahati director Prof. Devendra Jalihal. The annual meeting was last hosted in the region at Gauhati University in 1996.
Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Jalihal said hosting such an event in the region would help inspire students and young researchers to pursue science, technology and innovation. "Such gatherings play an important role in inspiring young minds, especially in the Northeast, to connect with the wonders of STEM and innovation," he said.
Founded in 1972, the Astronomical Society of India is the country's premier professional body of astronomers and astrophysicists. Organisers said the annual meeting serves as a key platform for scientific exchange, collaboration and outreach.
In his presidential address, Prof. Ojha highlighted the expansion of astronomy research infrastructure in India and said upcoming large telescopes and next-generation observatories would create new opportunities for researchers.
The conference will feature more than 140 scientific talks and 355 poster presentations covering areas such as solar physics, exoplanets, cosmology, astrochemistry, astronomy technology, data science, education and gender equity in science.
Ahead of the main sessions, a public lecture on "A Decade of AstroSat-India's First Space Observatory" was delivered by Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and recipient of the Vigyan Shri Award 2024.
Several specialised workshops were also held on topics including compact objects in the AstroSat era, radio astronomy from space and the Rubin LSST project focusing on the transient sky.
The event also saw the presentation of major ASI awards. The ASI Zubin Kembhavi Award was given to the team behind the GROWTH-India Telescope in Hanle, Ladakh, while the Laxminarayana and Nagalaxmi Modali Award was conferred on Dr. Girish Kulkarni of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
As part of outreach activities, participating scientists will interact with students from nearly 20 schools and colleges across Guwahati and other parts of the region. Astronomy exhibitions and astrophotography displays are also being organised at the Guwahati Planetarium and Guwahati Science City.
Organisers said the conference is expected to strengthen astronomy research and scientific collaboration while promoting greater public engagement with space science in the region.