Media Release

Mangaluru, Feb 13: CFAL’s Telescope Observatory and Astrophysics Club was inaugurated at its campus at Bejai-Kapikad on Saturday by Dr Prajval Shastri, a well-known astrophysicist from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics - Bengaluru.

Dr Shastri specializes in the area of the phenomenology of active galaxies driven by supermassive black holes using multi-wavelength observations ranging from radio to X-ray wavelengths. The main objective of the Astrophysics Club at CFAL, one of its kind in Mangaluru is to promote amateur astronomy through talks, classes, observations and discussions. The club will conduct evening and night sky observations through the telescope at the campus, telescope building and much more as part of its activities.

The institute’s observatory and club is dedicated to fostering communication and participation among students who are interested in astronomy and allied sciences and also assisting them in fulfilment of their curricular, educational, research and other such activities in the form of observations, field trips etc. Astrophysics classes are conducted at CFAL for grade 1 to grade 12 students. The observatory is equipped with a 127mm Explore Scientific FD100 APO Refractor mounted on CEM60 iOptron mount. There, photographs are taken on ZWO ASI071MC Pro cooled astro camera mounted with an Optolong 2" L-Enhance dual narrowband light pollution filter. A Skywatcher 10 inch motorized GoTo is used for visual astronomy.

Besides the inauguration of the Observatory and Astrophysics Club, Dr Prajval also unveiled the 2021-22 Indian Women in Science Calendar. The event was followed by a brief interactive session with Nandita Jayaraj, the coordinator of The Learning Centre Library and Women in Science calendar. Present at the occasion were Vijay Moras (programme coordinator of CFAL), Smitha Hegde (pteridologist and panellist) and other members of the CFAL team.

For further information visit:
CFAL, Bejai- Kapikad, Mangaluru
Phone: 9900520233
Website: www.cfalindia.com