Regular Stargazing Sessions 2024

Throughout 2024, ECLIPSE held regular stargazing sessions for the IIIT-B community — running from early evening well into the night (sometimes until 3 AM). Each session was an opportunity to step away from screens and spend time with the sky.

What Participants Learned

These weren’t just observe-and-go events. ECLIPSE used each session to build genuine skills in the attendees:

• Operating a telescope — setting up, aligning, and tracking objects
• Choosing observation nights — how to read weather forecasts and sky conditions
• Reading sky maps — understanding star charts and celestial coordinates
• Navigating by stars — using prominent stars and planets as reference points

Objects observed across the year included the Moon, Jupiter and its Galilean moons, Saturn’s rings, Venus in its phases, the Orion Nebula, and various star clusters.

Highlight: Geminid Meteor Shower (December 13–15)

The most memorable moment of the year came in December, when ECLIPSE organized three consecutive nights of observation for the Geminid meteor shower — one of the year’s most reliable and prolific showers.

• 13th December — Cloud cover and poor conditions; only a few meteors spotted
• 14th December — Clear skies delivered. Participants witnessed numerous meteors streaking across the sky throughout the night, creating an unforgettable experience
• 15th December — Conditions again limited visibility

The patience and enthusiasm of students on the 14th made it a truly special night — one of those moments that reminds you why the club exists.

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Organized by ECLIPSE Astronomy Club, IIIT Bangalore.