The Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS) is a society of amateur astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Bangalore. The primary objective of the BAS is to promote and popularize Astronomy as a hobby and science. [1]
The society was founded in 2006 [2] and registered as not-for-profit organization. In the initial days, members used to meet virtually over Orkut [3] and then eventually they decided to form a not-for-profit organization.
BAS today is an informal volunteer-run group and is active through the BAS Google Group, a Telegram group, and through its star parties. [4]
Most of BAS Administrative tasks and its activities are handled by its volunteers. Volunteers hail from different walks of life, most being working professionals or students. BAS neither employs nor provides stipends for anybody involved in its activities or administration.
BAS's activities broadly fall under Observing, Instrumentation, Outreach, Workshops and Meetings respectively. BAS Activities are normally open to one and all. BAS organizes, motivates and encourages its members to volunteer in Astronomy popularization and outreach initiatives. BAS Activities are normally announced and promoted solely on the web and sometimes with voluntary intervention from the media.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, BAS organized many virtual talks and webinars in year 2020 [5] to help keep enthusiasts engaged during the lockdown phases. The talks were recorded and uploaded to the official YouTube Channel. [6]
In September 2022, BAS joined hands with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics to organize a joint star party at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in the Himalayas. [7] Over the recent years, BAS has organized many star parties, usually in the winter time and in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, owing to the dark skies the location offers. [8]
A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing objects and events in the sky. Local star parties may be one-night affairs, but larger events can last a week or longer and attract hundreds or even thousands of participants. Many astronomy clubs have monthly star parties during the warmer months. Large regional star parties are held annually and are an important part of the hobby of amateur astronomy. A naturally dark site away from light pollution is typical.
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is an American scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889, immediately following the solar eclipse of January 1, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world. It has the legal status of a nonprofit organization.
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The RTMC Astronomy Expo was one of the major gatherings of amateur astronomers in the United States.
The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is a high-altitude astronomy station located in Hanle, India and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Situated in the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,764 ft), the IAO is one of the world's highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes. It is currently the tenth highest optical telescope in the world. It is India's first dark-sky preserve.
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The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) is a national, non-profit, charitable organization devoted to the advancement of astronomy and related sciences. At present, there are 30 local branches of the Society, called Centres, in towns and cities across the country from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia, and as far north as Whitehorse, Yukon. There are about 5100 members from coast to coast to coast, and internationally. The membership is composed primarily of amateur astronomers and also includes numerous professional astronomers and astronomy educators. The RASC is the Canadian equivalent of the British Astronomical Association.
The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the publication of Johannes Kepler's Astronomia nova in the 17th century. The Year was declared by the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations. A global scheme, laid out by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), was also endorsed by UNESCO, the UN body responsible for educational, scientific, and cultural matters.
The StarPeace Project was a global special project first organised in conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. StarPeace project participants held public star parties near a border of their country with a neighboring country. The intention was to show that there are no borders in the real Earth, borders are man-made and science has no borders.
Khagol Vishwa (KV) is an organization for amateur astronomers working in Maharashtra, India. It was established on 17 November 1999. The main activity of KV is to conduct observations of astronomical events, like meteor showers, eclipses, occultation, variable stars and generate scientific data for amateur research. Along with scientific studies, KV is also active in science popularization. Some of the major activities conducted by KV are public star gazing programs, sky at your doorstep, certificate course in amateur astronomy, and science exhibition.
Astronomical Society Ruđer Bošković is an astronomical society in Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in 1934 by a group of students, it is the oldest one in the Balkans. Initially having only several members, today it gathers more than 700 astronomy lovers. It is named after Ruđer Bošković.
Akashmitra Mandal is an amateur astronomers' organization in India. Its objective is to popularize astronomy and induce students, enthusiasts to make useful contributions in the field of astronomical research. It also aims to carry systematic study of the subject. It was the first organization in India to organize the amateur astronomers' Meet in India. Since its establishment in August 1986, many seminars, workshops, Basic Astronomy Courses for students and elders, Sky Watching Programmes were conducted by the organization. It has also enhanced the astronomical literature in India by publishing the "Directory of Persons Associated with Astronomy in India".
Macarthur Astronomical Society is an organisation of amateur astronomers, based in the Macarthur Region of outer South Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Dibyendu Nandi is an Indian space scientist known for his research related to Solar Magnetic Cycle, solar dynamic activity and its influence on Space Weather. Nandi is currently the head of the Center of Excellence in Space Sciences, India or CESSI at IISER Kolkata. He is associated with Montana State University, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and IISER Kolkata where he carried most of his research work.
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Amanda Elaine Bauer is an American professional astronomer and science communicator. She is the Deputy Director and Head of Science and Education at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. She was previously based in Tucson, Arizona, working as Head of Education and Public Outreach at the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. From 2013 to 2016 she was a Research Astronomer at the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO). Her principal field of research concerns how galaxies form, how they create new stars, and particularly why they suddenly stop creating new stars.