Who Are We?
Krittika is the astronomy club of IIT Bombay, with 8 members and 3 positions: Secretary, Manager and Convenor. The organizational hierarchy is as follows: Secretary (equivalent to Manager) > Convenor. Additionally, we also have a few enthusiasts who help out with initiatives and events. Our prime motive is to make the universe more accessible to everyone and to promote enthusiasm for astronomy in society.
Krittika hosts several events throughout the year, including our flagship event Astromania, a large-scale astronomy quiz. We also take students on a trip to the GMRT observatory near Pune to learn about radio astronomy and offer a Krittika Summer Project. In addition, we hold regular stargazing sessions. In recent years, we have also held a Computational Astronomy Bootcamp, movie screening, and a session to observe the solar eclipse.
What Have We Done So Far?
Krittika has been in operation for 21 years, since 2002. Over time, we have made improvements to our projects, resources, and other areas. The participation in the Krittika Summer Projects has increased and even gone international this year. With our new motorized mount, we have improved our capabilities in astrophotography. Our members also learn a great deal over the course of a year, which they carry with them for life.
Our stargazing sessions have been very popular, with over 150 attendees at each event. The Krittika Summer Projects have also been successful, with numerous detailed reports produced and international participation. We also screened the movie Apollo 13, which was a big hit.
To summarize, recent sessions conducted by Krittika include:
- The Krittika Summer Projects (KSP) were led by external mentors who were experts in their respective fields.
- The Computational Astronomy Bootcamp was primarily led by Krittika team members with expertise in the subject.
- The stargazing sessions were conducted by all available Krittika team members.
What is our Vision?
We are planning to host soon our flagship event, Astromania, which is an astronomy quiz created and administered by our own members. In addition, we will be organizing a trip to the GMRT observatory near Pune for students. Our team will handle the travel arrangements and obtain necessary permissions from GMRT for the visit.
We anticipate that the number of members and subdivisions within Krittika will remain the same in the future. However, we hope to expand our national and global following, which will allow us to connect with more people and access better resources for our events. In addition, we have obtained permission to build a state-of-the-art optical observatory on campus and expect our level of astrophotography to improve. We also plan to attract more diverse and qualified mentors for the Krittika Summer Projects. Our ultimate goal is to engage with people who have little background in astronomy and provide a high-quality experience for our audience.
In addition to our current activities, we are working to build a state-of-the-art optical observatory on campus and have obtained permission for the project. We are always looking for ways to expand the scope of our activities and bring new opportunities to our members and the wider community.
Who are we looking for, and what's in it for you?
Members of Krittika have the opportunity to learn a variety of skills, including telescope handling, design, public speaking, telescope handling, computational astronomy, astrophotography, team management, and leadership. These skills are also helpful for those who attend our events and participate in our activities. In addition to imparting knowledge and providing unique experiences, we strive to create a fun and enjoyable environment for all attendees.
Contact Us
For inquiries or additional information, please contact Advait at 9167147931 or Raksha at 9516890102. You can also email us at krittika.club@iitb.ac.in.