Star Trek

India's fascination with the stars continues to inspire curiosity and exploration

- By TANISHA SAXENA

They have been there for millennia, before the earth was born, taking light years to reach us. For all you know, that shining, twinkling object in the firmament that fascinates us has been dead for Ages; its light reaching us only aeons later. Stars are the wonders of the universe, observed from a distance as the alphabets of the night sky, the hieroglyphs of mystics and the portals of astronomers who study time and distance. Recently, the skies of Delhi were so polluted that taking a breath was an effort in itself, but that did not stop enterprising stargazers from peering into their telescopes.

For centuries, Indians have looked up at the night sky not just with curiosity, but with reverence. The digital age has made stargazing easier and more democratic. Affordable telescopes, mobile sky-mapping apps, and online astrophotography forums have opened the heavens to anyone with patience and curiosity. "Earlier, astronomy felt like an elite science—you needed resources, instruments, or institutional access," says 19-year-old astrophotographer Prathamesh Jaju. "Now, anyone can look up, click, and discover." Public interest has surged in tandem with India's space achievements. From the Mangalyaan mission to the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon's south pole; national pride has turned into personal inspiration. “Every ISRO success sparks a wave of enthusiasm-suddenly, you see more people attending stargazing nights or buying their first telescope,” says K Kasturirangan, former ISRO chairman. “It's a remarkable period for astronomy in India, and we must nurture this curiosity among the young.”