Under Tamil Nadu’s starlit skies : Exploring the cosmos with Open Space Foundation 

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By Roshne Balasubramanian

29/10/2023

Surender Ponnalagar, a resident astronomer at Al Sadeem Astronomy in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was introduced to a telescope that captured his imagination in the 11th-grade student.

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The concept for the Foundation sprouted in 2013, and it acquired its official organisational framework upon registration in 2018.

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“The immense potential in science and technology for personal growth and career development were largely absent from the school-level curriculum,” he shares.

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For the current seven-member team at OSF, over the past decade, each day has been a teacher, imparting invaluable lessons.

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The most intriguing insights have often emerged from the students themselves, Surender observes.

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Using the Stellarium Astronomy Software OSF educators explained the positions of celestial objects. Among the inquiries, one stood out: “Can we eat during a solar eclipse?”

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OSF has been making its way to hundreds of schools each year. Their impact has reached over 10,000 students.

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These initiatives have brought young minds closer to the realisation that perhaps, the sky is not the limit but a limitless canvas waiting to be explored.

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