Khagol # 125 - Jan 2020 - Eng & Hindi

| KHAG L | No. 125 - JANUARY 2021 | 06 The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), during October 20 – 23, 2020, celebrated its 200th birthday, and unveiled as a National Heritage site on the first day. The ceremony was followed by a week-long virtual Astrofest of popular talks, and exciting online engagements, aimed to enhance and support science promotion, communication, and science related activities. IUCAA SciPOPwas a partner in the event. Samir Dhurde (IUCAA) conducted a workshop on Mastering Astronomy, with Sonal Thorve, on October 22. The sessionwas to encourage learners and educators to use and devise DIY activities in astronomy, and use innovative methods such as role-playing with family and friends to learn astronomy. SAAO Astrofest On the occasion of World Space Week, during October 3 – 10, 2020, themed Satellites Improve Life - Awareness Programme, IUCAA SciPOP released a series of posters on social media platforms promoting WSW – 2020 followed by posters explaining different satellite applications (in brief) for improving our lives, each day. The poster series was specially designed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bengaluru, to make general public aware about satellites. The celebration concluded with revisiting an archived lecture on Hunting for Planet Nine in our Solar System followed by the live interaction session with the speaker SurhudMore (IUCAA). The activitywas designed and coordinated by Sonal Thorve (IUCAA). Public Outreach Activities World Space Week To inaugurate the celebration of World Space Week 2020, a National Level Online Teachers' Training was conducted during October 3 – 4, 2020. Purpose of this training was to share the knowledge and pedagogical methods to help teachers make teaching-learning experience more effective, and was designed interactive to make science classes more fun and insightful. Following topicswere covered: (i) Use of technology in teachingwith science toys. (ii) Outside classroomactivities to understand celestial motions. (iii) Space science in classroom. (iv) Demonstration of space-toys. (v) Hands-on astronomy. One thousand one hundred sixty seven teachers from schools across India as well as from Bhutan and Nepal participated in the training, whichwas coordinated byRupesh Labade (IUCAA). National Level Online Teachers' Training All-India Asteroid Search Programme was organised, during October 9 – November 3, 2020, by Ignited Minds-SKYAAC Saptarishi India Asteroid Search Campaign, in collaboration with the Vigyan Prasar, Government of India, and IUCAASciPOP. Tushar Purohit (IUCAA)was a mentor for this online programme, at which totally 89 preliminary discoveries have been done as per the campaign records. All-India Asteroid Search Programme