Khagol Bulletin # 136 (Apr 2025) - ENG

| 28 | KHAG L | No. 136 - APRIL 2025 facilitated by Jameer Manur and Tushar Purohit. On the second day, Sneha Pandit delivered a talk on the Sun, highlighting its significance in modern life and its connection to the potential for life in planetary systems. Rajeshwari Dutta followed with an in-depth presentation on the interstellar medium, detailing its composition, processes, and observation methods. In the afternoon, Dhruba Saikia presented a talk on the importance of inclusive scientific communities, sharing narratives of scientists from marginalised backgrounds and reflecting on the broader societal implications of their journeys. The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A session led by D. J. Saikia. A notable feature of the workshop was the inclusion of three short bird-watching sessions. During these, participants catalogued 14 bird species, including a sighting of the Asian Green Bee-eater captured with the Moon in the background by a participant from Symbiosis International University. As a result of these sessions, G.H. Raisoni International Skill Tech University was registered as a restricted-access birding hotspot on eBird.org, with 15–20 participants actively contributing to the activity. The workshop was coordinated by Surajkumar Babar, Bhargav Valanju, and R u t u j a T amb e f r om MS F D A , i n collaboration with Team ACE from IUCAA. The event effectively combined scientific exploration with interdisciplinary engagement, offering participants a broadened understanding of astronomy and its relevance to society. LIGO-India Education and Public Outreach (LI-EPO) LIGO-India is an upcoming gravitational wave detector in India, set to join the global n e t w o r k o f g r a v i t a t i o n a l w a v e observatories, which includes LIGO (USA), Virgo (Europe), and KAGRA (Japan). This mega-science initiative aims to construct a 4 km Ч 4 km“L”-shaped interferometer in the Aundha-Nagnath Taluka of Hingoli District, Maharashtra. The project is being developed under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Science Foundation (NSF), USA. The four principal institutes involved in the LIGO-India project are the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and As t r ophys i cs ( I UCAA ) , Pune ; t he Directorate of Construction, Services and Estate Management (DCSEM), Mumbai; the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar; and the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore. The LIGO-India Education and Public Outreach (LI-EPO) program is committed to nurturing a vibrant community of young individuals interested in the interdisciplinary field of gravitational wave science. One of its key goals is to inform students in STEM fields about career opportunities within this emerging domain. LI-EPO also bridges the gap between scientists and the general public through interactive talks, public events, and participation in national science festivals. Furthermore, the program actively engages with the residents of Hingoli, where the detector is being built, to raise awareness and ensure local involvement, while also advocating the project's significance to policymakers and stakeholders. Categories of Outreach LIGO-India's outreach activities are broadly classified into four categories: Nat i ona l Out reach : Promot i ng awareness of gravitational wave astronomy and LIGO-India across the country and encouraging students to pursue careers in this field. • • • Hingoli Outreach: Building strong connections with the local Hingoli community and keeping them well- i n f o rmed abou t t he p r o j e c t ' s developments. Social Media Outreach: Using online platforms to disseminate information and highlight career opportunities to the youth. International Outreach: As part of a global network of gravitational wave observatories, LIGO-India collaborates with LVK-EPO groups to plan joint outreach initiatives. •