Starscapes, India’s only chain of astronomical observatories, just opened its latest facility in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand. Those interested in astronomy will find plenty of educational events and shows at the Stargate Observatory.
You can choose between a 45-minute celestial show or an astrophotography workshop in which you will learn shortcuts, trips, and tricks to capture the universe on your own camera in under two hours.Discover the constellations and stars over our heads with Audio-Visual Night Shows.
Whether you’re looking for a way to celebrate under the stars or learn about astrophysics at the Stargate Observatory Bhimtal, there’s something for everyone at the observatory. Astronomy enthusiast Ramashish Ray, in association with Paul Savio, founded Starscapes in 2015 with the aim of operating an observatory in Kausani. Starscapes opened their second observatory in Bhimtal last week.
The observatory is located just three km from the Bhimtal lake and is a seven-hour drive from Delhi.
What to See in Stargate Observatory
At the Stargate Observatories, the night sky belongs to you. Each observatory has shows that last for forty-five minutes to an hour. Conducted by our resident expert StarGuides, you will spend time looking at the night sky. You will get to know about stars and constellations – identifying them, their origins, the science behind them, the mythologies we as humans built around them, and the rules governing their cycles and appearances.
You will then get to observe various celestial objects through our state-of-the-art telescopes mounted in our observatories. Depending on the time of the month or year, the night sky has various interesting objects to observe in detail. Observe the craters on the moon. Study the phases of Venus as it orbits the Sun. Look for mysterious “canals” on the surface of Mars that made humans think there were intelligent creatures on Mars. See if you can spot the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, the largest storm in the Solar System, and look for the four Jovian satellites orbiting Jupiter as bright dots. Marvel at the glorious rings of Saturn. And feast your eyes on Uranus, something which was impossible for humans to even see prior to the invention of the telescope over four hundred years ago.
You’ll also have the chance to observe nebulas such as the Orion Nebula, a large cloud in the middle of the Constellation Orion’s “belt”, a place where stars and planets are being born. You’ll also get to see the Milky Way’s nearest big neighbour, the Andromeda Galaxy, which is double the size of our galaxy. Many other galaxies, nebulae, and star cluster systems can be spotted from our observatories.
During the day, you will be able to catch a glimpse of the nearest star to us, the Sun. Equipped with special protective filters, our telescopes will be perfectly safe for you to stare at the bright orange disk that you normally cannot glance at. If you’re lucky, you might be able to locate a sunspot. The even luckier ones among us will get to see a rare solar flare – a massive storm that shoots out of the Sun’s surface and is responsible for magnetic storms on the Earth.
How to Reach Bhimtal
There are three trains that run between Delhi and Kathgodam and vice-versa every day. Kathgodam is a popular gateway to Kumaon and is approximately 300km away from Delhi. From Kathgodam you can take either the uttarakhand roadways buses or taxi to reach Bhimtal its about 35 KM away from Kathgodam Railway station.
