On a moist night alongside Beach Road in Visakhapatnam, a small crowd gathers round a telescope, ready for a glimpse of the moon. Conversations quieten as every viewer takes a flip. Some step back in astonishment, others linger, returning for one more look. These are the acquainted rhythms of the Vizag Astronomy Club’s ongoing moon watch classes, a public initiative that has regularly formed a modest but regular tradition of sky-watching within the metropolis.
Founded by BSS Srinivas, the membership started with out formal infrastructure or institutional backing. Srinivas remembers that its earliest classes have been held for neighbours, family and friends, with a single telescope and a easy intention to share what he describes as “the joy of astronomy”.
“Over time, these informal gatherings widened into structured public programmes. Our Moon Watch sessions held at the Beach Road are drawing first-time viewers as well as regular participants,” says Srinivas.
There is a sure historic continuity to these efforts. In 1840, Gode Venkata Jaggarow established an observatory on his non-public property in what is now Dabagardens, marking one of many earliest engagements with astronomy within the area. While many residents could also be unaware of this historical past, the Vizag Astronomy Club’s work is rekindling curiosity within the subject.
Full moon.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak
The moon watch classes, domestically referred to as Chandra Darshanam, are designed as open-access gatherings. They are sometimes held from the fourth day after the brand new moon till the total moon part, when lunar options change into more and more seen to the bare eye and thru telescopes. At the Beach Road, classes at the moment run between 6.30pm and 10pm, with the programme scheduled to proceed till April 3. Visitors can be part of with out prior registration, an strategy that has contributed to its rising footfall.
For many first-timers, the encounter is unexpectedly affecting. Srinivas says they usually react the way in which early astronomers did! “They realise the moon is not smooth, but full of craters, ridges and plains,” he says. During one latest session, a baby, after wanting by means of the eyepiece, remarked that he lastly understood why historic cultures constructed tales across the moon. “Such responses indicate how direct observation can reshape perception more effectively than mediated images,” Srinivas provides.
Beyond the visible expertise, the classes embody guided explanations. Volunteers converse concerning the formation of lunar craters, proof of previous volcanic exercise and the function of the moon in stabilising Earth’s setting. The classes additionally clarify how early civilisations named lunar options and developed calendars primarily based on its phases. “The emphasis remains on linking observation with understanding, rather than presenting astronomy as distant or abstract,” says Srinivas.
Private classes
In latest years, the membership has launched terrace-based non-public viewing classes throughout the town. These smaller gatherings, normally lasting two to three hours, are organised for households and small teams. “Many participants prefer the familiarity of their own spaces, where conversation flows more easily and the experience feels less formal,” says Srinivas, who has performed over 60 such classes, usually centred on occasions equivalent to planetary alignments or distinguished lunar phases.
The membership’s gear varies in accordance to requirement, together with Dobsonian, equatorial, Galilean and Newtonian telescopes, permitting each fundamental and extra detailed remark. For these looking for deeper engagement, month-to-month star events and astronomy camps supply in a single day classes the place members can work together with skilled observers and pursue prolonged examine of the night time sky.
The membership base displays this widening curiosity. Alongside 100 long-time members, the membership now has round 300 energetic members. Srinivas attributes this development to a gradual shift in public curiosity. Srinivas says many individuals, used to screens, anticipate telescope views to appear like digital photos. “They come with that idea,” he says. However, as soon as they encounter celestial objects instantly, the expertise acquires a unique significance.
At the Beach Road, in entrance of Ambica Sea Green Hotel classes are held from 6.30pm to 10pm and can proceed till April 3. The subsequent Moon Watch programme will start from April 21. For particulars, contact 6304963367.
Published – April 02, 2026 05:24 pm IST
