Reflection of Geography into the Astronomy through Museology

09/09/2016

Mousruti Das*

In nursery class I read a poem-  
                                                             

                      “Twinkle, Twinkle little star

                      how I wonder what you are”

                                                                                                          ....... Ann and Jane Taylor

It was this wonder that took me to the M.P. Birla Planetarium in Kolkata for the first time, when I was a mere toddler. The wonder persisted. I decided to wed my love for stars & skies with my subject of study, Geography and in future in Museology. Museum movement in India has gained momentum and as a part of it a large section of people irrespective of caste, creed, religion regularly visiting the Planetarium. M.P. Birla Planetarium creates awareness among the populace of the country. The M.P. Birla Planetarium set up in 1962 is a landmark of the City of Joy, attracting many visitors for years. The M.P. Birla Planetarium is a first of its kind in India it has led the way to 28 other planetariums in different parts of the country. It undertakes to increase acquaintance with and awareness of the heavens, and thus facilitate the study of science, and the impact it has on the people on large. With standing the commendable role if has played and is playing, there are areas in which progress can be made on space science.

History and Modern Astronomy:

Man’s interest in the havens is perhaps as old as the beginning of the career as Homo sapiens sapiens on this planet. This is doubtless a consequence of his erect posture which enables him to look wonder at the sky and the various striking phenomena occurring there day by day and night by night. The sun, the moon, the vault of the sky with numerous sparking stars, bright and dim, must have appealed to him at the dawn of his capacity to wonder at, and indulge in certain amount of speculation about them. Moreover, he was impressed by the regularity of appearance and disappearance of these objects. The sequence of day and night, the obvious connection of the sun with such alteration of light and darkness, and gradually got attracted by the regular revelation of the splendor of the night sky from time immemorial. Beside the stars, of which the Sun is our nearest one, the Moon and the planets greatly stirred up man’s curiosity. Imaginative minds could figure out constellations and noticed the movements of the planets and stars from which a mental picture of the Universe gradually evolved. Astronomy is probably the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious practices of pre-history: vestiges of these are still found in astrology, a discipline long interwoven with astronomy and not completely different from it until about 1750-1800 in the Western World. Early astronomy involved observing the regular patterns of the motions of visible celestial objects, especially the Sun, Moon, stars and naked eye planets. An example of this early astronomy might involve a study of the changing position of the Sun along the horizon or the changing appearances of stars in the course of the year, which could be used to establish an agricultural or ritual calendar. In some cultures astronomical data was used for astrological prognostication. In Ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, China, East Asia, India was studied with great enthusiasm.

Indian Tradition of Astronomy:

In the sacred literature of the Hindus, the Jainas and Buddhists, such a skilled priest has been referred to as ‘astronomer’ and his science ‘astronomy’ (jyotisa). In the Mundaka Upanisad astronomy is included in the list of several branches of Vedic studies. The Jainas also claimed considerable antiquity for their interest in, and study of, astronomy. The four branches of their canonical texts include ganitanuyoga (principles of mathematics), samkhyana (arithmetic) and jyotisa (astronomy). Like the Brahmanas, the Jainas, too, demanded of their priests great proficiency in astronomy for the proper observance of their religious ceremonies. The Buddhists did not evince much interest in astronomy due probably to the degeneration in their time of astronomy into astrology, and to the difficulty of distinguishing between the two.

India has a rich heritage of researches in Astronomy and Astrophysics and has produced some outstanding scientists, whose contributions have greatly enriched our knowledge. Besides, our observatories at Kodaikanal (solar), Nainital (optical & Solar), Japal-Rangapur (optical), Kavalur (optical), Ootcamond (radio), Raman Research Institute (radio) and other projects like the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT, Pune) and the Inter University Centre for Astronomy & astrophysics (IUCAA, Pune), have been established.

Planetarium:

As a science museum: In 2007 ICOM has declared Planetaria are included in museums.

The ICOM (International Council of Museum) defines: A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment. 

• a. The above definition of a museum shall be applied without any limitation arising from the nature of the governing body, the territorial character, the functional structure or the orientation of the collections of the institution concerned. 
• b.In addition to institutions designated as "museums" the following qualify as museums for the purposes of this definition:

1. natural, archaeological and ethnographic monuments and sites and historical monuments and sites of a museum nature that acquire, conserve and communicate material evidence of people and their environment;
2. institutions holding collections of and displaying live specimens of plants and animals, such as botanical and zoological gardens, aquaria and vivaria;
3. science centers and planetaria;
4. non-profit art exhibition galleries;
5. nature reserves; conservation institutes and exhibition galleries permanently maintained by libraries and archives centers; natural parks;
6. international or national or regional or local museum organisations, ministries or departments or public agencies responsible for museums as per the definition given under this article;
7. non-profit institutions or organisations undertaking conservation research, education, training, documentation and other activities relating to museums and museology;
8. cultural centres and other entities that facilitate the preservation, continuation and management of tangible or intangible heritage resources (living heritage and digital creative activity);
9. such other institutions as the Executive Council, after seeking the advice of the Advisory Committee, considers as having some or all of the characteristics of a museum, or as supporting museums and professional museum personnel through museological research, education or training.

From the above definition it can be said that a planetarium as a science museum. A science Museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museum tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, heritage and cultural heritage, paleontology, physics, astronomy, geology, industry and industrial machinery etc. Modern trends in Museology have broadened the range of subject matter and introduced many scopes for interaction. Planetarium is related to astronomy and a special projector by   which the positions and movements of stars and planets can be projected on a hemispherical domed ceiling .Today the display technique and the exhibits are different from the old traditional science museum. Astronomy is an “umbrella science” offering a unique opportunity to look at a number of fundamental scientific concepts. Thus a planetarium covers a broad spectrum of sciences and this is open to the public for the purposes of study, education and enjoyment. M.P. Birla Planetarium, Kolkata fits this bill.  M.P. Birla Planetarium in Kolkata started functioning from September 29, 1962 and was formally inaugurated on July 2, 1963 by the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The M.P. Birla Planetarium is the first of its kind in India and the largest in Asia.

Responding To Social Cause:

Daily newspapers and television channels are replete with revealing the most unfortunate fact that superstition still persists in India. The Silicon Valley is buzzing with people of Indian origin. The Indian IITS and IIMS are the toast of the entire world India is considered as a strong contender in the global economy. Yet, we hear children being sacrificed to ward off the evil and bring prosperity. Till date Kundalis play not a very unimportant role in marriage. The star positions are said to influence each and every bit of life. Before the ICC Champions Trophy cricket matches, everyday a parrot card reading session was held on a television channel; objective – to predict how each player will play on that day and which team will win. Superstition still obstructs the polio eradication campaign. Superstition is based on blind faith and is a bare to our society. Superstition can be eradicated through Planetaria. Planetariums are taking the responsibility to eradicate the superstition in various way for the sustainable development of the society.

References

• Ambrose Timothy and Paine Crispin, Museum Basis, First published in 1993, by Routledge, 11 New Fetter Lane, London ECAP & EE, simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge, 29, West 35th Street, New York, NY10001.
• Ronan A Colin, The Practical Astronomer, First published in 1981, Roxby Press Ltd., 98, Clapham Common Nauthside, London SW4959, Published in this edition by Gallery Press.

*Student, 2004

Research Scholar, Department of Museology, University of Calcutta, Former Fellow-Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, Former Project Linked Person- P. C. Mahalnanobis Memorial Museum and Archives, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata