On 17th November, the Zenith Astronomy Club organised an Outreach program at the School of Physics for 150 students in classes 8 and 9 of the University of Hyderabad Campus School. The event consisted of showcasing sunspots to young minds, thereby educating them about them. The program aimed at opening new doors for the students and inviting them to the broader world of astronomy.
The event began with an introductory talk on basic concepts of Astronomy, where the speaker engaged in topics such as the Solar system, the Milky Way, black holes and other extragalactic entities. The students showed great interest throughout and actively participated in discussions with the speaker. The second talk of the program was focused on giving the students an overview of sunspots. The students were taught about its formation, characteristics and most importantly, its influence on earth and space technology. The sessions were beginner-oriented for the students to catch on and were done in an interactive mode, which was reflected in the numerous questions raised by them.
Finally, the students were taken to the observatory, where they viewed the sunspots. Their intrigue was evident as they viewed the phenomenon for the first time. Throughout the process of guiding them, the ZAC members engaged in conversations with the students, addressing their doubts and queries. This enabled the team to maintain a lively crowd, thereby creating a dynamic learning environment.
The Zenith Astronomy Club thanks their faculty coordinator, Dr Ashoka Vudayagiri and the Dean, School of Physics, for their support, as well as the Principal and the escort teachers of UoH Campus School, whose assistance helped the team coordinate the event efficiently.
The event successfully piqued the interest of the students, which gave rise to an impactful introduction to Astronomy. The club looks forward to organising many more such initiatives in the future.