Khagol Bulletin # 136 (Apr 2025) - ENG

| 17 | KHAG L | No. 136 - APRIL 2025 chaired by esteemed experts, including Titus K. Mathew (CUSAT), K. Indulekha (M G University), C.D. Ravikumar (University of Calicut), Ninan Sajeeth Philiph (AIRIIS4D), Naseer Iqbal (Kashmir University), Vinu Vikraman (Central University, Kasaragod), Blesson Mathew (Christ University), Minu Joy (Alphonsa College), Debhijoy Bhattacharya (Manipal University), and Kazuyuchi Faruuchi (Manipal University). A dedicated poster session was also part of the meeting, allowing participants to showcase their latest research. A discussion on career opportunities in astrophysics, led by Naseer Iqbal (Kashmir University), took place on the first evening. On February 1, a special sessionwas held in memory of V. C. Kuriakose, where Babu Joseph, Ajit Kembhavi, and others reflected on his significant contributions to the regional meeting and the broader astronomy community. The meeting upheld its tradition of knowledge-sharing A three-day workshop on Optical Astronomy was organised by the Department of Physics, St. Thomas College, Ranni, in collaboration with ICARD (Newman College, Thodupuzha) and the Centre for Excellence in Astronomy and Astrophysics, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, fromFebruary 28 to March 02, 2025. The workshop brought together thirty-nine undergraduate students from fifteen colleges, including five participants from outside Kerala. The event was inaugurated by Ninan Sajeeth Philip (Senior IUCAA Associate and Dean & Director of AIRIS4D, Thelliyoor, Kerala). The welcome address was delivered by Anju Joseph (Head, Department of Physics), and the session was presided over by Sneha Elcy Jacob (Principal, St. Thomas College). Felicitations were offered by Sreeja S. Kartha and Joe Jacob, with a vote of thanks byMarykutty James. Workshop on Optical Astronomy Introductory lectures on astronomy were delivered by Joe Jacob and Sreeja S. Kartha, followed by hands-on training sessions. Akhil Krishna R. (Research Scholar, CHRIST University) led a session on FITS image fetching and processing, while Arun Roy (Post-Doctoral Fellow, IIA) conducted a session on Python p r o g r amm i n g f o r a s t r o n om i c a l applications. On the second day, R. Srianand (Director, IUCAA) delivered a lecture on the challenges of galaxy formation in the early universe. This was followed by a session on stellar clusters by Sreeja S. Kartha, and hands-on activities on stellar cluster analysis using CLEA and TOPCAT by Nidhi S. Sabu (CHRIST University). The day concluded with an Astropy-based practical session on stellar spectra analysis, led jointly by Nidhi S. Sabu and ArunRoy, and an interactive discussion with participants. and fostering research collaborations, bringing together young researchers and experts from diverse fields. It provided a valuable platform for networking and discussion, further strengthening astronomy research in the region. The event was coordinated by Ranjeev Misra (IUCAA), Charles Jose (CUSAT), and Joe Jacob ( I CARD , Newman Co l l ege , Thodupuzha). The final day began with a second lecture by R. Srianand (Director, IUCAA), who focused on India's upcoming mega- science projects. Advanced sessions on astronomical data handling and galaxy redshift estimation using Pythonwere then conducted by Akhil KrishnaR. and ArunRoy. The workshop concluded with a valedictory session featuring participant feedback and reflections. Sreevalsa K. (St. Thomas College) delivered the concluding vote of thanks. The workshop successfully blended theoretical insights with practical training, sparking strong interest in optical astronomy among participants. It was coordinated by Sreeja S. Kartha (IUCAA Associate and Associate Professor, CHRIST University) and Joe Jacob (Coordinator, ICARD, Newman College, Thodupuzha) and RanjeevMisra (IUCAA).