Our Dr. Akbar delivered us a healthy SkyMAX 180 from Australia a few weeks ago. “This boy is big Masha Allah”, we thought about the 5 kg Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope or ‘Munna’, and I set on the mission of finding a good school for it. My search landed me at the Education Bay School (EBS) in DHA VIII, Karachi. The principal kindly gave me an appointment for Saturday 14th April ’12, and I and Irfan bhai went to meet the school’s director, Mr. Salman Mehtab. We were impressed with EBS. The final exams were very near, so that was a bit of a concern, but we consulted forecasts and the helpful administration decided that 23rd April 2012 would be Munna’s first day at school.
The sky was a bright blue and the Sun was peppered with big sunspots that eventful day. Munna seemed excited! With imported sunblock protecting its entire face, we tenderly made it stand in the school’s playground, for we did not wish to intimidate it by taking it directly to the classrooms. In case you are wondering, the sunblock was an 8” full-aperture glass filter Akbar bhai had brought for Munna. To keep it from feeling lonely, we had brought its bosom friend, the LS35T H-alpha telescope, too and a 9×50 ‘projection scope’ with plastic lids for both ends.
It was break time at EBS by the time we were done. Liquid refreshment was served to the KaAS team, but Munna did not take a sip so I did not either :p Shortly the school kids started coming in disciplined queues to greet it and there was excitement all around. We heard many students gasp and exclaim, “A telescope!”
Munna was quite shy, and although it immediately befriended the school kids, it did not mutter a word. So I was standing beside it all the time talking to the students and teachers, telling them how to view through the eyepiece and answering their questions. Munna alongwith the LS35T did impress everyone with its ability to show beautiful views of the Sun. The Sun seemed delighted and showed off lots of detail. “It looks like skin”, a boy told me. One sunspot AR1549 had a part that resembled a lion’s paw print. Munna tackled the many sunspots while the LS35T showed two prominent prominences (no pun intended).
A small, cute Turkish child Erum came with her father to check out what was going on. I made her sit comfortably in a chair, and she looked long and intently though the eyepiece. “The Sun, the Sun, the Sun! Mujhay Sun nazar ayi”. Her father who works at the Turkish Consulate also had a look and counted over seven sunspot groups.
Well until the school’s closing hours, both telescopes were well behaved, but they’d sometimes get so excited that they’d not realize the Sun is getting outside their view. No big deal that; Ayaz or I would simply guide them back. Also, the etalon of the LS35T had to be re-tuned every twenty minutes or so.
All good things must end, they say, and so did Munna’s delightful first day at school. The kids wanted to play with it more and we wanted it to entertain the kids longer, but we had to take leave. We did promise to bring Munna to the Education Bay School again whenever the administration wanted us. Some kids were still not happy, and a second grader threatened to hurt Munna :D “Mujhe Sun dikhao,” she demanded, “warna telescope tor dun gi”. Oh boy!
On behalf of our team from the Karachi Astronomers Society, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the administration of the Education Bay School. In spite of the proximity of the final exams, their enthusiasm and willingness to have the session arranged before the upcoming transit of Venus made KaAS’s first session at EBS a very enjoyable experience. I’m positive that it will be etched in the minds of everyone involved for a long time.
If you are a school kid or parent and would like us to do a session at your or your child’s school, feel free to contact us at contact@karachiastronomy.com
Written by: Zain Ahmed