Guwahati, May 16 (PTI) The five-day 44th annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI) was inaugurated at IIT Guwahati here on Saturday with over 600 astronomers, researchers, students and science communicators from across the world participating in it.
ASI president Devendra Ojha and IIT-G Director Devendra Jalihal were present at the inaugural programme.
In his presidential address, Ojha said the ASI has built a rich legacy since its establishment in 1972 and has evolved into a vibrant scientific community.
“With new facilities such as large telescopes and next-generation observational infrastructure on the horizon, the future of astronomy in India is bright and offers immense opportunities for the astronomical community,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Jalihal said IIT Guwahati was delighted to host the annual meeting and bring together researchers, students and members of the scientific community on the campus.
He said such gatherings play an important role in inspiring young minds, especially in the Northeast, to connect with STEM and innovation.
The meet will foster new ideas, collaborations, and greater engagement with science among students and researchers across the region, he added.
Established in 1972, the ASI is the professional association of astronomers in the country.
With more than a thousand members dedicated to advancing astronomy and related sciences in India, this annual meeting serves as the society’s flagship platform for scientific exchange, collaboration, and outreach.
The five-day conference will feature more than 140 scientific talks and 355 poster presentations covering a diverse range of themes, including the sun and the solar system, exoplanets and astrobiology, stars and galaxies, cosmology, astrochemistry, astronomy technologies, data science, astronomy education, among others.
Three workshops on thematic areas— Compact Objects in the AstroSat Era, Radio Astronomy from Space, and Rubin LSST: Exploring the Transient Sky—were also conducted on the opening day of the conference.
The inaugural event also included ASI award presentations, recognising excellence in astronomy and astrophysics. This year, the ASI Zubin Kembhavi Award was presented to the team behind the GROWTH-India Telescope in Hanle, Ladakh.
Other major honours include the Laxminarayana and Nagalaxmi Modali Award to Girish Kulkarni of TIFR and the Justice Oak Award for Outstanding Thesis in Astronomy to Prateek Mayank.
Alongside the scientific activities being conducted at IIT Guwahati, the Public Outreach and Education Committee (POEC) of ASI is conducting astronomy-themed outreach activities across Guwahati and other parts of the Northeast.
As part of this initiative, astronomers visiting Guwahati will engage with students at nearly 20 schools and colleges.
In addition to this, exhibitions of astrophotography are being showcased at both the Guwahati Planetarium and Guwahati Science City to inspire the researchers of tomorrow.
ASI’s annual meeting has returned to the region after 30 years, with the last meet hosted by Gauhati University in 1996. PTI DG DG MNB
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