I noticed all this during a star-gazing night organised on my college terrace, in Vandalur, years ago. There are a bunch of amateur astronomers in the city who, over the years, have managed to spot the darkest locations around Chennai — Ramanchery, Yercaud, Vembakkam, Kavalur, Nagalapuram and Nagari — to organise star parties, star hopping nights and photography sessions. A number of clubs, such as Horizon: The Astronomy Club of IIT Madras, Chennai Astronomy Club, and Indian Amateur Astrophotographer, provide platforms for constant engagement on the topic. While the Chennai Astronomy Club organises star parties for the public, the club at IIT focusses more on engaging students at an academic level. “Did you know that the popular Pole Star is actually a cluster of four different stars?” asks one of them.

Source: The Hindu October 08, 2016 00:45 UTC