Members Reports

THE WARNING OF THE WILD DUCK CLUSTER By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . -Hey, licensed hunter! - the M11 star cluster called me, although his constellation, Scutum, was quite far away. You may hunt visually from my variable stars, but never dare to hunt wild ducks on Earth! #poetry
Awareness Program on the Planet Parade - Interaction & Telescopic Observations The Astronomical Society for Training, Research and Outreach (ASTRO) organised an Awareness Program on the Planet Parade on January 25, 2025. The program involved interaction with the public regarding misconceptions about Planetary Alignment/Parade, followed by telescopic observations. The participants initially looked at the Sun and its Sunspots just before sunset. Some were amazed to see the Sunspots for the first time. They were given star charts to examine the sky and identify planets and other celestial bodies. After dusk, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are ...

Planets and Moon

Some nice nights, at last!! Took my Nexstar Evolution 6 outside ! Saw the Moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter one after the other ! Great moments !

Grand Galactic Spiral

. . Grand Galactic Spiral . . In the small constellation which is called Telescopium, a Latinized form of the Greek for telescope is the sprawled spiral galaxy in its astral swarm. . Stippled with stars in the image we see that hover about the firmament view the Hubble has given us cordially our own special gaze in this rendezvous . at the grand I C 4 7 O 9 amid its swirling disks sidereal within the faraway cosmic confine high in celestial skies ethereal. . It’s two hundred forty million light-years away from our planet petite of earth, of the hopes and ...
BUCHAREST, THE MOON AND MARS Astro-photo-poem by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . -Hey, man, when are you going to pay me a visit? I am waiting for you with great craters! - the Moon spoke to me on January 10, 2025, and I climbed a tower to be closer to her among the games of sunlight with the city and the clouds. . . . . . . . On the evening of January 14, 2025, the planet Mars spoke to me from beyond the Moon: -Hey, man, I know I will be your second cosmic destination. I am waiting for you with great mountains! . ...
The International Asteroid Search Campaign (IASC) is an exciting citizen science program led by Dr. Patrick Miller of Hardin-Simmons University, USA , in collaboration with NASA and the International Astronomical Search Collaboration . This global initiative allows students and amateur astronomers to analyze real astronomical data and potentially discover new asteroids! At Astronomy Outreach of Kashmir (AOK) , we are thrilled to announce that we will be organizing an Asteroid Search Campaign as part of this prestigious program. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to engage in real scientific research, contribute to asteroid discoveries, ...
MAJORON By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . The “majoron” is a hypothetical and complicated particle in the Universe. Connected to dark matter, it is both itself and anti-itself, as if you would look in the mirror and see the perfect enemy. You can understand it better, but only if you agree to become its majordomo. #poetry

Nebula Saturn

. . Nebula Saturn . . Saturn Nebula gets its name from resemblance to the planet. While slight in likeness, much the same are the rings around that span it. . In shades of rosy pinks and blues the central cavity’s bounded, ‘midst gasses of enthralling hues of density all surrounded. . Positioned in Aquarius with duo of ‘ansae’, handles, gaseous clouds precarious that glimmer like astral candles, . the nebula planetary, by previous watchers misnamed in visions preliminary, is in Hubble’s imaging framed. . It’s near five thousand light-years far ...
MAIN METEOR SHOWERS By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe l. . The brave heroes Perseus, Orion, and the Twin Brothers specialize their celestial times to protect the Perseids in summer, the Orionids in autumn, and the Geminids in winter. . Orpheus prefers to stay hidden, leaving his Lyre to protect the Lyrids in spring. . Unfortunately, the Quadrantids are upset because they don't have their own official constellation, but the Leonids are happy because, once every three decades, they are the guests of honor. #poetry
Support for Small Organizations – AOK’s Challenge Running a small organization like Astronomy Outreach of Kashmir (AOK) comes with its unique challenges. While the enthusiasm and dedication to bring astronomy to the masses are unwavering, the lack of resources often limits the scope of what can be achieved. One of the significant hurdles we face is acquiring telescopes for our outreach programs. The prices of quality telescopes are often exorbitant, making them inaccessible for organizations like ours. Without external support, it’s nearly impossible to sustain and grow our initiatives. We’ve come to rely heavily on the goodwill of our astronomy friends ...
The New Space Conquest/Exploration Policy It is the purpose of all mankind, as one of indispensable stages of its evolution, to discover and explore new worlds in the Universe. To realize the intention defined in pt no 1 mankind, aware of predictable as well as completely unexpected threats, should have at its disposal diversified, both passive and active (defensive/offensive), security measures capable to stop/or mitigate the aftermaths of these events. Especially, the most dangerous and terrible ones which remain hidden in unexplored and undiscovered borders of the Universe. If mankind do not manage to work out appropriate security systems ...
Light Pollution: The Silent Enemy of the Night When was the last time you looked up and saw a sky full of stars? For many of us, the twinkling brilliance of the Milky Way has become a rare sight. Light pollution—excessive and misdirected artificial lighting—has robbed us of the wonders of the night sky. For astronomers, stargazers, and even nocturnal animals, this growing problem is a silent catastrophe. Astronomy is a science of observation, and darkness is its ally. The night sky is meant to be a canvas painted with stars, planets, and galaxies, but light pollution erases that masterpiece. Bright city lights, glaring streetlights, and excessive outdoor ...
A PARTY ASTRONOMER By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . -What is your astronautic desire, party astronomer? , -First I would like to see a beautiful muse pouring wine into a cup right on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. Later I would like to drink that wine right on the asteroid Dionysus! #poetry
Exploring the Mysteries of Asteroids: A Memorable Astronomy Outreach Program On 22 January , I had the privilege of conducting an astronomy outreach program at Charari Sharief, with a group of 40 enthusiastic students . Their energy and curiosity were infectious, and they had one particular request: they wanted to learn about asteroids . We began the session by delving into the fascinating world of asteroids, discussing their role as remnants from the formation of our solar system. Stories of well-known asteroids like Ceres, Vesta, and Apophis captivated the students, as did insights into how astronomers study and track these rocky ...

Galactic Pinwheel

. . Galactic Pinwheel . . The Southern Pinwheel is thought to possess a nucleus double or dual core due to how it happened to coalesce as barred spiral galaxy; furthermore, . even though impressive the dark dust lanes and blotches of gas both in blue and red, M eighty-three, thus the science explains, is half size or less of Milky in spread. . Still a massive spiral of grand design it’s near fifteen million light-years away from the earthly dramas humans enshrine and changeable roles they constantly play. . Discovered in seventeen fifty-two amidst stelliferous skies ...
Beamline for Schools 2025: Empowering Young Minds in Scientific Research Great discoveries often stem from curiosity, and the Beamline for Schools (BL4S) 2025 competition is a testament to the power of youthful exploration. Organized by CERN and DESY, two leading research facilities known for groundbreaking contributions like the discovery of the Higgs boson and advanced light sources, BL4S offers high school students an extraordinary opportunity to delve into the world of particle physics. This competition, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, invites students worldwide to propose and conduct experiments using professional beamline facilities. A ...
JANUARY EVENINGS 2025 By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . My gaze jumped like a gazelle from Venus to Saturn and Jupiter, then, like a kangaroo, far to the east, to Mars,. . And I shouted: -Come with us, mighty Orion! Rise fully again, Winter Hexagon! #poetry
GAIA-SAUSAGE-ENCELADUS By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . A dwarf galaxy was discreetly buried somewhere in our larger Galaxy, leaving us with a few globular clusters. But nobody mourned, nobody composed an epitaph and nobody sang a requiem just because all the other stars were too busy to keep their jobs. #poetry
ASTRO-CONFESSION By Andrei Dorian Gheorghe . . Meteorites attacked me on the Moon, I collided with Olympus Mons on Mars, I was driven away by the terrible storms of Jupiter, the tangled rings of Saturn and the hostile ice of Uranus and Neptune. . In the Alpha Centauri area I rented a much faster rocket, then I reached the edges of the Milky Way and even far beyond. . I visited countless exoplanets like bubbles of hope, I also tested all types of stars according to the classification of the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, and the Universe turned for me into an ...
Witness the Mesmerizing Planet Parade in the Night Sky! For the past few days, six planets from our solar system — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune — have created a stunning display in the night sky. While Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are visible to the naked eye, you’ll need a telescope or binoculars to catch a glimpse of Uranus and Neptune. This celestial event, known as a ‘planet parade,’ is a sight to behold for stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts. Skywatchers have until February to enjoy this remarkable phenomenon. What Is a Planet Parade? A “planet parade” refers to a situation when several ...