Pune, India’s largest school-level astronomy space observation center and laboratory was inaugurated on Saturday 26th Feb on occasion of national science day 0n 28th Feb. . The space observation center was inaugurated by Dr. Nitin Karmalkar, Vice Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Dr. Kashinath Deodhar, Senior Scientist, Hemant Naik, Lion District Governor .Henkel India’s Bhupesh Singh, Sandhya Kedia, Dr. Prasad Khandagale, Shekhar Dumbare, Prasad Vaidya, Astronomer Vishal Kumbhare, Headmistress Prajakta Vaidya, Jayant Inamdar, Pradip Waje were present on this occasion. Senior Astronomer Dr. Jayant Narlikar and NASA Scientist Dr. Rupesh Ojha guided about 4,000 students online. At this time, Vice Chancellor Dr. Nitin Karmalkar said that such centers are needed to get interest in space observation among the students at an early age. In the future, the necessary scientists will be formed from these type of center . Henkel has already supported space observation centers at Jejuri, Bhor, Talegaon-Dhamdhere and Shirgaon in Pune district to inculcate the love of astronomy in children, said Dr. Prasad Khandagale.The company has provided astronomical equipments such as telescopes, binoculars and astronomical books to the students at the space observation center. The Global Mission Astronomy and Research Center has entered into a memorandum of understanding with astronomical research institutes in the US and Spain to set up the observation center. Through this, almost 10 thousand are studying with these observation centres. Some students already joined NASA’s asteroid search mission. The mission astronomy institute has trained around 250 teachers by train the trainer program.
