Bengaluru: More than 200 solar physicists from around the world convened in Bengaluru this week for an international conference celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO). The conference, organized by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), focuses on the latest research in solar magnetism, solar-stellar connections, and space weather.
The KSO, established in 1899, is a beacon of Indian astronomy and has made significant contributions to understanding solar phenomena like sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections. The observatory’s location and advanced equipment have allowed it to make significant contributions to our understanding of sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other solar phenomena.
The conference highlights the observatory’s enduring legacy and the growing field of solar astrophysics.
Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of IIA, emphasized the conference’s significance, stating, “This conference celebrates the birth and growth of solar astronomy and solar physics in the country. With experts from across the world, it will discuss all aspects of the Sun as well as space weather.”
The conference program, developed by an international scientific committee, features presentations, discussions, and poster sessions covering a range of topics, including solar magnetism over long time scales, solar magnetism in high resolution, energetic phenomen, solar-stellar connection, and heliosphere and space weather.
DST Secretary Professor Abhay Karandikar, addressed the conference attendees in a video message, highlighting initiatives like the digitization of KSO’s historic records and IIA’s contributions to the Aditya-L1 mission. He also drew attention to upcoming projects, including the National Large Solar Telescope planned for Ladakh. He promised the efforts will open new frontiers of discovery in solar astrophysics.
A.S. Kiran Kumar, former ISRO chairman, challenged the solar physics community to propose new instrument ideas for ISRO to launch, emphasizing the organization’s capabilities in supporting space-based research.
The conference also included a public talk on the Sun by Professor Nat Gopalswamy from NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, held at CHRIST University on 23 January.
This talk primarily targets students and is open to the public.