Between December 8 & 11 / 15 & 18, 2023, we are conducting an Intermediate level workshop for high school students, college students, teachers, adults or family members, basically anyone who is interested in notching upwards in their knowledge of the Night Sky and what really goes on with Amateur Astronomers who are pursuing this for many years. This is aimed from the angle of getting students inclined to astronomy as a higher potential career or semi-career, or anyone else towards a serious vocation other than their pursuits of today.

​

On December 8th / 15th, in Thane West city, will be an indoor day-long (9 am - 6 pm) set of presentations granting the you the knowledge of theory of practical – for once, not only theory again. On December 9 & 10 / 16 & 17, for 2 nights, we're headed to Dark Matters Observatory outside Thane city off Shahapur town in Maharashtra to experience a sophisticated privately owned astronomy observatory.

 

This is a night sky observing tour aimed especially for youngsters, as well as anyone from ANY background, wanting to get into serious astronomy who want to learn the intermediate aspects of the night sky from one of India's BEST night sky specialists with a flair for astronomical teaching. You will also get to lay down under the night sky as well as learn it by keeping yourselves engaged in observing through 2 big computerized telescopes of advanced amateur observatory grade, a 14-inch reflector and 6-inch refractor, both on advanced mounts. This is a rare opportunity for the you participants to face-off with such advanced equipment not found even by searching in the Indian territory.

​

Here – through both indoor and outdoor – you the participants will get to learn in-depth on aspects and insights of global amateur astronomy, visual observing, how to make logs and sketches, how to find Deep Sky Objects (DSOs) like comets, binary stars, open star clusters, globular clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. You will get to partake in the processes of the vast, deep field called Observational Astronomy – away from the books sitting indoors, for once. At the end of 1 1/2 day & 2 nights, you'll not anymore be new to the landscape of the night sky and its constellations as well as making advanced visual observations, having already stepped onto the next level of observational / practical astronomy, and even ready to converse with seasoned professional-amateur astronomers!

​

It being December, the skies are expected to be transparent and clear. Also, we co-incidentally have the chance of seeing some nice meteors zip across the sky. December 14 & 15, and thereabouts, are the peak dates of the yearly bright Geminid meteor shower – from the trail of dust & debris left behind by the peculiar asteroid 3200 Phaethon – which produces up to 120 meteors per hour at its peak under ideal conditions. The participants have a good chance of spotting the 'shooting stars' in the night sky even a few days before / after – provided you keep your gaze hooked upwards. Be prepared for constant exclamations whenever you see even one streak through the sky!

​

Your host guide ranks among the ONLY Indians to have seen some of the farthest DSOs with small telescopes and small binoculars, a specialization barely a few Indian amateurs can claim.

 

Join Astronomy Journeys to be part of an Indian advanced amateur observatory at a location outside of a major urban centre of Thane-Mumbai – for a surprisingly dark quality sky – and learn the night sky like how literally no one in India can show it to you – it is NOT a mere hobby or sky-gazing for us, we are VERY well-versed in speaking the language of amateur astronomy for the last 20 years full-time.