Variable Star Astronomy

Dedicated pages: Khwarizmi Science Society and the International Year of Astronomy and Beyond

The Khwarizmi Science Society find great pleasure in presenting a report of the Society’s spectacular achievements in the year 2009 and beyond, in celebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA). This was enabled by the seed grants received from the Emerging Nations Science Foundation (ENSF), the Canon Foundation for Scientific Research, the Pakistan Science Foundation and donations from individuals. With the help of this grant, the KSS was able to extend its activities, for the first time, outside Lahore and reach out into the remote and distant locations of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkha. These melas have served around 10,000 schoolchildren, teachers and parents.

Our so-called falakyati melas were hailed a tremendous success. These melas took place in Lahore, Okara, Phoolnagar, Swabi, Shadara and the historic fort of Rohtas. We led the World Space Week with the biggest observatory stationed in Lahore’s local parks. The KSS organized live telescopic viewing of the solar eclipse in January 2010 that was covered live by the national TV media channels. Recently, we have started an online streaming view of galaxies from a rooftop observatory that is accessible to anyone who logs on to the Khwarizmi Science Society channel on http://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/. We also organized public lectures on astronomy and space science. A video and pictorial coverage of all our activities in connection with the IYA is accessible on the website http://khwarizmi.shutterfly.com.