Meteors & Meteorites Study Group (M&MSG)

Telescope Making™

Planetary Section (PLANSEC)

Satellite Section (SATSEC)

Asteroid/Comet Section (ASCOSEC)

Solar Section (SOLSEC)

History of Indian Astronomy (HIA)

Registered Members will be encouraged to participate and work in the following programs. There will be some tutorials, coffee discussion and seminars to review the progress in these topics.

1.  Meteors & Meteorites Study Group (M&MSG)

Regular meteor observation is initiated by AGCA to train observers round the year in visual, radio and spectral observational programs. Meteoritic Lab is already developed for analyzing the so-called meteorites, impactites, breccia, shatter cones and tektites. Standard meteoritic kit is available for calibration. Meteor/Meteorite software is available for any analyses.

Radio Meteor Studies have been started from December 2008; radio antenna is already ready for testing, analysis and reduction.

All-Sky Meteor Camera is proposed to be set up soon, and will be made available for daytime/nighttime observations.

Meteoritic Lab is already developed for analyzing the so-called meteorites, impactites, breccia, shatter cones and tektites. Standard meteoritic kit is available for calibration. Meteor/Meteorite software is available for any analyses. More details

2.  Telescope Making™

Courses on telescope making are being conducted regularly. Advanced course on telescope making is conducted on request. Efforts are made to develop GOTO drive and develop telescope software. Effort is made to bring fibre optics, Fabry-Perot, interferometer, spectrometer techniques for planetary work.

AGCA plans to have its own grinding machine to make its own telescope up to 30" in diameter.

3.  Planetary Section (PLANSEC)

Studies of Inner/Outer planets are planned from the coming season. This will be done with its own Celestron 130mm Maksutov- Advanced GT, along with its accessories. CCD camera is already acquired for this observation. Planetary software is available.

4.  Asteroid/Comet Section (ASCOSEC)

Asteroids or Minor bodies which are between Mars and Jupiter; initial the brighter asteroids are to be studies, their shape, magnitude and their rotation. Later their spectral identification will also be required. With a larger telescope AGCA hopes to start Near Earth Asteroid Program (NEAP).

5.  Solar Section (SOLSEC)

Studies of the Sun, especially white light image of the sun is planned from the coming season, much emphasis is laid on high resolution surface features of the sun like the sunspot, solar flare, pores, solar granulations. Hα image of the sun is to be acquired. Proto-type solar vacuum telescope is in planning stage. Seeing monitor is being planned along with the telescope. Solar software is available for image analyses. Solar Coelostat 8” is being planned.

6.  History of Indian Astronomy (HIA)

Studies of history of Indian astronomy with special emphasis on astronomers from Maharashtra, and from different parts of the country. The astronomical tools used by the Indian astronomers. These will be brought out regularly as Monogram. Library has some books on Indian Astronomy and some publications too. Emphasis will be laid on publication of this information through local newspapers & media.