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different parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The resource persons were: Ajit K. Kembhavi, A. N. Ramaprakash (both from IUCAA), P. P. Divakaran (formerly from TIFR, Mumbai), Ninan Sajeeth Philip (AIRIS, Kerala), Anand Narayanan (IIST, Thiruvananthapuram), C. D. Ravikumar (University of Calicut, Kozhikode), Biju K. G. (WMO Arts and Science College, Wayanad), Charles Jose (CUSAT, Kochi), Nijo Varghese (S.H. College, Chalakudy), and Tharanath R. (Aquinas College, Kochi). An introduction to astronomy and its jargon were given by Ninan Sajeeth Philip. ThenAjit Kembhavi introduced blackholes and the concepts of gravitational waves. Anand Narayanan talked on exoplanets and their detection methods. The participants got an opportunity to find the radial velocity of an exoplanet during the session. Astronomical techniques, interstellar medium and upcoming optical observatories were introduced byA. N. Ramaprakash. The other resource persons led the participants to explore the sky through a sky-watching programme on the first day of the workshop. As an outreach programme, a parallel session was organized on the first day afternoon for school students to interact with eminent scientists. This session was led by A. N. Ramaprakash, and 76 students from 6 different schools nearby Chungathara actively participated in the programme. The workshop was coordinated by A. N. Ramaprakash and SheeluAbraham (Mar Thoma College, Chungathara). Workshop on Science of the Star in our Backyard: Introduction and Data Analysis Utilising the Annular Solar Eclipse 2019 as an excellent occasion to popularise Astronomy among the public and to educate science students about the Sun, IUCAA in collaboration with St. Mary’s College, Sulthan Bathery, Kerala, has organised an eclipse viewing followed by the Workshop on Science of the Star in our Backyard: Introduction and Data Analysis, during December 26-29, 2019. The applications for the selection of forty participants for the workshopwas over subscribed around four times. The programme started with viewing of the Annular Solar Eclipse on December 26, under the guidance of Samir Dhurde and Sonal Thorve (both from IUCAA). The initial view of the Sun was shadowed, and was missed by the participants. There were five hundred plus public assembled in the ground, and they were very happy to view the later part of the eclipse. The unproductive time was effectively used to answer the questions from the public on Solar Eclipse. A session chaired by Samir Dhurde, organised just after the eclipse, witnessed long and fruitful discussions on various scientific aspects of Solar Eclipse. It also served as an ice- breaking exercise for the participants. The workshop was inaugurated by Durgesh Tripathi (IUCAA) in the afternoon, chaired by Santhi George (Principal, St. Mary’s College). John Mathai Nooranal (Bursar, St. Mary’s College) felicitated Dibyendu Nandi (IISER, Kolkata), and Joe Jacob (Newman College, Thodupuzha). The resource persons were: Durgesh Tripathi, Dibyendu Nandi, Aveek Sarkar (PRL, Ahmedabad), Ram Ajor Maurya (NIT, Calicut, Kozhikode), and Nishant Kumar Singh (IUCAA). The various topics of Solar Astrophysics, such as Introduction to Solar Physics and Solar System, Basics of MHD, Star-Planet Interaction, Helio-Seismology, Applications of MHD and Solar Dynamo, Radiative Transfer, LTE and non-LTE, Solar Wind, Facilities in Solar No. 121 - January 2020 14