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Pakistani Astronomy in the PastPakistani Astronomy Today
It's Your Turn for Action
Pakistani Astronomy in the Past
Fifteen years ago, being an astronomy enthusiast in Pakistan meant you were pretty much on your own. I know quite a few such people who got hooked on astronomy in those days. Khalid Marwat purchased an 8" SCT in 1987 from the US. When he'd come to Pakistan, he had few ways to connect with observing companions. Muhammad Akbar and his brothers assembled refractors from convex lenses available at spectacle makers in the late 90's and early 2000's. A relative of mine who's now in the Middle East took great pains to save money and buy a 3" Newtonian reflector from God knows where (there still are no telescope shops in Pakistan). Yours truly spent nine years observing the night skies over Karachi with nothing but the tiny 7X35 family binocular, just because telescopes weren't available.
The country's first astronomy club was made by some youth who named it the Amateur Astronomical Society of Pakistan (AmastroPak). This was back in 1988. It was a remarkable feat considering the very limited resources those enthusiasts had. Surprisingly, AmastroPak's URL is still valid in spite of not being used since ages: link. Yes, AmastroPak could not go beyond Hub Chowki for its dark sky trips, and their largest instruments were no bigger than 6" telescopes. But the initiative was nevertheless commendable.
Dr. Salman Hameed recalls those days:
Back in the late 80s, a few of us also organized some astronomy events and observing sessions in Karachi. But the numbers were small and the efforts inconsistent.
Some years later, the Lahore Astronomical Society (LAST) was created. They, in collaboration with Khalid Marwat, conducted some memorable sessions during the Leonids meteor storm of 1998 and during Karachi's total solar eclipse in 1999. In fact, the meteor watch of 1998 was likely the first truly dark sky star party in Pakistan. The Islamabad guys also formed their own astronomy club, PAS-Isb, in late 2007.
Although AmastroPak effectively became an internet mailing list after a spell of productive years when most of its founders and early members went abroad or became too busy in their domestic lives, it nevertheless provided a way for astronomy enthusiasts from across the country to connect with each other. In fact, AmastroPak can be considered the parent organization of today's Karachi Astronomers' Society.
Pakistani Astronomy Today
There are three major astronomy clubs in the country now. Arguably the most active, well-equipped and well-attended is the Karachi Astronomers' Society (KaAS). Here's a quick overview of the organization:
- Founded: 2008 (parent organization founded in 1988)
- Equipment: 24" Webster & 18" Obsession dobsonian telescopes, 10" LX200 ACF and smaller intruments. LS35T solar telescope.
- Activities: Regular dark sky trips in Sind and Balochistan. Community outreach and discussion sessions. Events at educational institutions. Astronomy publications.
Lahore Astronomical Society (LAST)
- Founded: 1998
- Equipment: One 14" and two 8" SCTs. One 8" Newtonian and smaller instruments. Coronado 40PST
- Activities: Events at educational institutions. Community outreach and discussion sessions. Occasional dark sky events.
- Founded: 2007
- Equipment: 10" Newtonian, 6" refractor and smaller instruments.
- Activities: Events at educational institutions. Community outreach. Occasional dark sky events.
It's Your Turn for Action!
Pakistanis have always been interested in astronomy and space. Out of every ten Pakistanis, at least one or two are crazy about the avocation/science. Since you are reading this, we can bet you are one of those!
We now have excellent resources and reasonable infrastructure in the country to pursue astronomy, thanks to the dedication of a number of individuals and hard work spanning years. Salman Hameed writes of the current astronomy scene:
It looks like astronomy in Pakistan now has attained a critical mass and it seems that it will be growing in the coming years! Fantastic.
Do you know what Pakistan's astronomy scene now demands? YOUR active participation. It's a fact that everybody is good at something. You can and should contribute in anyway possible, because currently the challenge is not the lack of resources but the lack of participation by enthusiasts. Here's how you can help:
- Spread the Word
Not that Pakistani amateur astronomers don't want to contribute - it's just that most simply don't know astronomical organizations exist in the country. You should tell your family, friends and acquaintances about these astronomy clubs and their activities, and invite them over to events. The internet is one amazing resource.
2. Preparing Flyers
We at KaAS love to arrange sessions for the public every month. Then our core team has our hands full with a multitude of tasks - taking care of logistics, getting the observing and photography equipment ready, preparing for discussions, to name a few - while simultaneously looking after our day time jobs. At such times we really wish that someone would volunteer to design attractive event/meeting flyers. This, unlike arranging telescopes and their logistics, is something anyone can do.
3. Learning the Basics
Preparing attention-gathering flyers well ahead of an event or meeting is a genuinely useful contribution. But there's a small catch - the flyer should be factually correct. So you should spare some time to learn the basics of astronomy through reading. Then you should co-ordinate with the society to better understand its workings. This basic know-how and a little creativity is all that you need to be a valuable part of the Pakistani astronomy community.
Learning the basics will also help you enjoy your time at our meetings and rutjugas (dark sky trips) to the fullest.
4. Making Event Logs
Arranging a public outreach session or meeting is not easy. Planning and successfully organizing a trip to dark sky sites is an even more daunting task. Yet, our core team is always willing to that. What we ask from participants, especially the first or second timers, is to compile detailed, descriptive logs of the activity you observe once you are back from the event. In the past KaAS has organized some of the most successful events in the history of Pakistani astronomy but our core team have to spare so much time for the logistics and planing that it becomes impossible for us to prepare event logs. The result: we have fond memories of the events but no way to share them with other astronomers, the rest of the country and the world.
Again, this is a crucial contribution that you can make.
5. Periodicals and the Mass Media
If you write well, you should tell about our astronomy clubs and their activities to newspapers and magazine, especially those geared towards youth. Don't overlook Urdu language periodicals! Some examples of youth magazines are The Truth, Young World, ماہنامہ گلوبل سائنس , بچوں کا اسلام and VShine World, to name a few.
6. Sharing Knowledge
The KaAS forums are a great way to share knowledge and information about Pakistani astronomy. You should contribute to the discussions over there. Remember the old adage? "Knowledge increases by sharing".
At the end of the day, it's your astronomy group. There's nothing to lose if you contribute to it but there's lots to gain - definitely a win-win situation!
Clear skies and happy star gazing,
Zain Ahmed
The author is a 23 year-old electronics engineer by profession. He has been involved with the Pakistani astronomy scene since 1997 and routinely collaborates with astronomy enthusiasts, both novice and experienced, throughout the country.
