The first astronomical observatory in Eastern India has been inaugurated in Garpanchkot Hills in Purulia district by the Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences. Vishvajit Sahay, Additional Secretary of the Union Science and Technology Department, Professor of Physics at IIT Mumbai, B. N. Jagtap, ViceChancellor of Sidho Kanho Birsa University, Pabitra Kumar Chakraborty, and others were present during the inauguration event. This is the sixth such astronomical observatory centre in the country and has been named after Satyendra Nath Bose.
Tanushree Saha Dasgupta, Director, said that this project work commenced in 2012 on 4.9 acres of land. Two telescopes have been installed. The seeing value of this place is 1.3 arc seconds, which is at par with the other five centres in the country. The best time for observation will be from November to April, when the sky will be clear. An automatic weather forecast centre has also been opened above the hilltop, which will be helpful for measuring rainfall, temperatures, and wind speed. Scientist Ramkrishna Das said that initially two places were considered: Susunia Hills in Bankura and Garpanchkot Hills in Purulia. The centre has been set up 600 metres above sea level as the centre needs to be established in a non-polluted area.
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One more long-range telescope will be installed shortly. The varsity students will be able to conduct research in astrophysics from this centre. The other centres are in Ladakh, Nainital, Mount Abu, Girbani Hills in Pune, and Kavalur in Tamil Nadu. “At an elevation of 600 metres above ground level, nestled away from city lights and surrounded by the serene beauty of nature, the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) has proudly unveiled its firstever astronomical observatory – a cutting-edge facility for groundbreaking research in astronomy and astrophysics in Eastern India. The observatory is equipped with a 14-inch diameter telescope, with plans underway to install a 1-metre diameter telescope soon.
Additionally, a research scholar from Sidhu Kanu Birsa University tracks the night sky daily, collecting valuable data on atmospheric turbulence. The S.N. Bose Centre has also signed an MoU with SKB University for the observatory’s operation and resource sharing. This state-of-the-art observatory is set to revolutionize scientific research in the region, offering an unparalleled platform for cuttingedge studies in space sciences. The official inauguration took place today, with Vishvajit Sahay, Financial Adviser from the Department of Science & Technology (DST), alongside the Director of SNBNCBS, Chairman of the Governing Body, Academic & Research Programme Advisory Committee, and esteemed faculty members from SNBNCBS. This marks a monumental step in the advancement of scientific research and innovation in the region, opening doors for incredible discoveries and progress in the world of astronomy,” stated the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Science.
