The Celestial Club of The Mann School, Delhi has inducted a ‘MEADE LX600-ACF 16″ f/8 Cassegrain Go To Telescope’ with Tripod and Star Lock technology on its campus. The purpose of the club is to imbibe a love for space studies and help students develop a scientific temper. It is the first of its kind among the schools in India.

The school’s chairman Joginder Singh Mann quoted “the telescope is available to students for periodic observation and special celestial events. Our skilled faculty members guide the students through each step of observation and documentation of information. Its installation has felicitated students to explore various astronomical events. A number of DIY (do-it-yourself) activities, interactive sessions, stargazing and sky watching sessions, etc. are conducted under the Celestial Club.”

The Celestial Club of the school will be associated with:

• SPACE CAMP by NASA (Space Camp is an educational camp in Huntsville, Alabama, on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. It provides residential and educational programs for children and adults on themes such as space exploration, aviation and robotics.)
• SALLY RIDE SCIENCE EarthKAM PROGRAMME (sponsored by NASA) (Sally Ride Science is an innovative science content company dedicated to supporting girls’ and boys’ interests in science, math, engineering, and technology. Sally Ride Science manages the Sally Ride EarthKAM program.)
• YUVIKA by ISRO (The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Yuva Vigyani Karyakram (YUVIKA) or Young Scientist Programme is a special initiative with an objective to impart basic knowledge on space technology, space science and space applications to young students, especially in rural areas.)

Features at a glance:

• This LX600 Telescope has a 16-inch Aperture (406 mm) with a Modified Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical Design.
• It is Controlled with a Heavy Duty Fork Mount on a Super Giant Field Tripod.
• Focal Ratio: f/8.
• Focal Length: 3251 mm.
• Includes StarLock Technology, AutoStar II Control, and a Reverse Crayford Focuser.
• Advanced technologies like the Star Lock system.
• Advanced Coma-Free Optics, Ultra-High Transmission Coatings, Crayford Focuser.
• Uses GPS and a timing chip to determine the date, time, and location for automatic calibration.

Also read: COVID 19 Challenge: The Mann School, Delhi online learning