You may know that year 2009 is being celebrated as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is a global effort initiated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery.

There have been events all over the globe, including in Pakistan, where the Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS) – one of the country’s most active grass-roots science associations – has held numerous “astrofests”, or falakyati melas, as they are known in Urdu.

The vision of IYA2009 is Everyone should realise the impact of astronomy and other fundamental sciences on our daily lives, and understand how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society. IYA2009 activities are taking place locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. National Nodes in each country are running activities throughout 2009 which will establish collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, science centres and science communicators.

In Pakistan the astrofests are the society’s latest initiative in popularizing science and bringing modern scientific knowledge to remote and far-flung areas of the country.

A live astronomical observation of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus at the Okara District Public School and College in the Punjab, which drew over 2000 men, women and children to an event that was transformed into a festive carnival by the school headmaster.

Similar melas have also been arranged in Lahore’s Punjab University and at a large school in Phoolnagar, some 70 km from the provincial capital Lahore. These events have attracted several thousand schoolchildren and our most inspiring mela took place in September in an all-girls school in Shahdara, along the banks of the river Ravi.

Sources:

• physicsworld.com

• astronomy2009.org

• Propakistani.pk

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