Astrotourism in India
Astrotourism is basically space tourism. While going out as an astronaut is a privilege for only a few, there are several observatories and planetaria in India where the beauty of space can be seen. There are also spaceflight sites and museums to enjoy India's space exploration adventure.
Understand
The history of astronomy in India is thousands of years old. Astronomers like Āryabhaṭa, Brahmagupta, Varāhamihira, Bhāskara I and Bhāskara II came from India. Indian astronomy significantly influenced Muslim astronomy, Chinese astronomy, European astronomy and others.
The Indian space programme began in the 1960s, which is known for performing incredible space missions at low cost, including Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission), Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3. The rockets used in the programme include Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV), Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3), of which PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 are in active used as of 2024. The rockets are launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR) at Sriharikota, near Chennai.
Observatories
- 🌍 Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, Ladakh. At 4,500 m (14,800 ft), it is the highest observatory in India..
- 🌍 Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory (MIRO), Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
Jantar Mantars
Jantar Mantars are five observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1727–1734. Except the one in Ujjain, all other observatories are not in active use.
- 🌍 Jantar Mantar, Delhi, Sansad Marg, Connaught Pl, Delhi. 9AM-6PM. The odd structures inside this observatory are enormous scientific instruments for measuring the movement of celestial bodies.
- 🌍 Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, ☏ +91 141-261-0494. 9AM-5PM. The largest of five Jantar Mantars and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices (or yantras in Hindi) for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets and determining the celestial altitudes etc. There is signage providing elaborate explanations for the use of each device, and guides can be hired to provide much the same information in a more digestible format. Guides' charge is ₹200 for 4 people. For a better explanation, you can take a guide. The observatory, the water and the wind palace are free on 18 May. ₹40 for Indians, ₹200 for foreigners.
- 🌍 Jantar Mantar, Ujjain (Vedh Shala), Madhya Pradesh. Unlike the other Jantar Mantars mentioned here, the one at Ujjain is still in use actively. It consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments. The observatory was constructed with the aim of measuring local time, altitude (of the place) and also to measure declination of the Sun, stars and planets and to determine eclipses. Motion, speed and properties of stars and planets were also recorded using several special instruments. There is a small planetarium and a telescope to observe the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and their natural satellites. The observatory is also used for weather forecasts..
Planetaria
- 🌍 Birla Planetarium, Gandhi Mandapam Rd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, ☏ +91 44 24410025, +91 44 24416751, +91 44 24915250, +91 44 24918787. The Science and Technology Centre is open on all days except on national holidays. Program Timing 10:45AM–1:45PM and 3:45PM. English noon, Tamil 2:30PM. Built in memory of B.M. Birla, the well known industrialist and visionary. Adjoining the planetarium is a Periyar Science and Technology Museum which will be of interest to students and other science scholars.. Package cost ₹45, ₹20 for children.
- 🌍 Birla Planetarium, 96, Chowringhee Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal. One of the oldest planetaria in India. The only planetarium in the country whose dome houses a collection of projectors and optical equipment expensively imported from the erstwhile East Germany. It is the largest planetarium in South Asia and the second largest in the world. Daily shows in English, Hindi and Bengali. The central dome measures 25 m (82 ft) in diameter..
- 🌍 Goa Science Centre and Planetarium, Panaji, Goa, ☏ +91 832-2463426. At a scenic location along Miramar Beach, this is a great place for kids. There's also a movie theatre showing 3D science-related films.. ₹10 (less for students).
- 🌍 Howrah Planetarium and Astronomical Research Centre, Howrah, West Bengal. A planetarium with virtual tours of the night sky and cosmic shows in a specially perforated hemispherical dome. It is India's first 3D planetarium. A total of three shows are conducted a day in this planetarium to introduce visitors to the solar system. Visitors can also learn about important space discoveries and related information. Each show at planetarium is conducted for 25 minutes. Shows are available here in Bengali, English and Hindi..
- 🌍 Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Bangalore Association for Science Education, Sri T. Choudaiah Road, High Grounds, Bangalore, Karnataka, ☏ +91 80-22379725, info@taralaya.org. 12:30-4:30PM (closed M and second Th). A very good planetarium for adults and children alike. Shows are offered in Kannada and English. Each show is about 30 minutes long. There are about 200 seats available for each show. A ticket can be used only for the show mentioned on the ticket, and is non-refundable if you miss that show. ₹35 for adults and ₹20 for school students and children (up to 16 years), children below 3 years are not allowed inside the Sky-Theatre.
- 🌍 Nehru Planetarium, Dr. Edwin Moses Road, Worli, Mumbai, ☏ +91 22 2492 0510. Tu-F 11AM-5PM. This is next door to the Nehru Science Centre and has some interesting shows. Over the years, it has grown into a centre for the scientific study of astronomy and space science. The planetarium is equipped with a Digistar 3 planetarium projector which was installed in 2003. Adult ₹35, children ₹20.
- 🌍 Priyadarshini Space Planetarium. One of the largest planetaria in India and rated as one of the best horizontal planetaria of the world. It has a collection of astronomical science objects from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Two major shows regarding various secrets of universe are done daily. It has a good Sky Theatre, a large conference hall and is the location of regular space-related programs.
Spaceflight sites and museums
- 🌍 Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The main launch site of India. It has a space museum for visitors. It also has a viewing gallery, which faces the two launch pads and can accommodate 5,000 people. The gallery gives you the opportunity to watch rockets soaring to the sky.
- 🌍 Science City, JBS Haldane Ave, Parama Island, Kolkata, West Bengal. 9AM-9PM. It is one of the most spectacular science centres in India. Its Space Odyssey Hall contains exhibits like India and Space, Making The Space Vision A Reality and Planet Earth.
- 🌍 Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram. One of the main space research and development establishments in India. It is home to Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), which is used to launch sounding rockets for meteorological and upper atmospheric research. It has a space museum.
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