Mangaluru: A telescope making workshop held at CFAL on October 12, 2019, wherein participants from three schools built their own telescopes. CFAL hosted and helped teams from three schools to build their own 5-inch Newtonian reflector telescope and take it back to their respective schools. The participating teams were Anandathirtha PU College and Vidyalaya from Udupi, Manipal PU College and Poornaprajna College from Udupi.
Have you ever been wonderstruck by the night sky? And felt a longing to peer into the great bedecked expanse? Then you would know what a magnificent boon a telescope is. Especially during the inquisitive days of childhood, which happens to be the perfect time to make one. Yes! we made telescopes and not just bought one off the shelf.
What can one see with such a telescope? The Moon looks exquisite with a lot of craters on its surface. Jupiter with its moons and Saturn’s rings are a fine spectacle. Mars will be a small orange ball. Pleiades(M45) or the Seven Sisters is a spectacular cluster. Orion Nebula(M42) is the best deep-sky object that will show details. Against a dark sky, one could see our neighbor the Andromeda galaxy. Many double stars like Mizar and Alcor can be resolved. Hercules Globular Cluster(M13) will look like a beehive of stars. There is a long list of wonderful objects that can be seen each month at www.skymaps.com.
Having read this, are you too interested in making your own telescope with your family or friends? If so, call 9900520233 and register for the next telescope making workshop at CFAL. Oh yes, remember that on December 26th this year Mangalore will go dark in the morning around 9:30 AM due to an annular solar eclipse. A stellar event that can next be witnessed from Mangalore only in 2064.
