The 3rd Nepal Young Physicists ' Tournament welcomes registration until March 21, 2026!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬' 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐍𝐘𝐏𝐓) 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!

Register NOW: https://forms.gle/VbAUzKHeCyJmjPKj7

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲?

High school students currently enrolled in Grades 9–12 (or equivalent).

Gap year students are not eligible.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞:

23:59 Hrs, Saturday, March 21, 2026

The Nepal Young Physicists' Tournament follows an international-style physics competition format where teams present solutions to open-ended research problems, engage in scientific discussions, and defend their findings before peers and judges.

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨:

> 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴

> 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴

> 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴

> 𝘉𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘭’𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐘𝐏𝐓𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔?

The selected five students from this tournament will represent Nepal at the 𝟑𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬' 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐙𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡, 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟓-𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.

From Astronomy Olympiad into Y Combinator: A Proud Moment for the Nepali Youth Innovation Community!

Date: March 15, 2026

We are pleased to share exciting news about two outstanding alumni of the National Astronomy Olympiad (NAO) program, Sudip Rokaya and Rohan Bhattarai, who have been accepted into the Y Combinator Summer 2026 (P2026) batch for their startup Lamina Labs.

Sudip and Rohan recently co-founded Lamina Labs, a startup developing the fastest architecture for generating deterministic animated videos, specifically designed for the EdTech sector. Their work focuses on enabling high-quality, scalable educational video generation through advanced technological innovation.

Their acceptance into Y Combinator marks a historic milestone, as they are the first Nepalese founding team to be accepted into Y Combinator in its more than 21-year history. Y Combinator is one of the world’s most competitive startup accelerators and provides $500,000 in funding, along with mentorship and access to a global network of leading founders and investors.

Sudip Rokaya and Rohan Bhattarai have long been part of the NASO community through the National Astronomy Olympiad program. Sudip was the Absolute Winner of the 9th National Astronomy Olympiad (NAO 2022), while Rohan was the Absolute Winner of the 10th National Astronomy Olympiad (NAO 2023). Both represented Nepal at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2022) in Kutaisi, Georgia, and the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA 2023) in Katowice, Poland, where they each received Honorable Mention Awards.

Sudip, originally from Simikot, Humla, moved to Pokhara from Grade 4 to pursue his education at Gandaki Boarding School, Lamachaur, where he later completed his high school education under the National Examination Board (NEB) program.

Rohan, originally from Butwal, Rupandehi, studied up to Grade 10 at New Horizon English Boarding Secondary School, Butwal, before moving to Kathmandu to pursue his A-Level studies at Trinity International College, Dillibazar.

Currently, Sudip Rokaya is studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), while Rohan Bhattarai is pursuing his studies at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)—two of the world’s leading institutions for science and technology.

It is also noteworthy that Raj Kumar Dhakal, the NASO Province Coordinator for Gandaki Province, serves as a science teacher at Gandaki Boarding School, where Sudip studied. Similarly, Mukti Nath Paudel, the NASO Province Coordinator for Lumbini Province, is a science teacher at New Horizon English Boarding Secondary School, Butwal, where Rohan completed his secondary education.

Through the National Astronomy Olympiad program, NASO identified these two talented young minds at an early stage and engaged them in scientific learning and community activities during their high school years. Their continued achievements highlight the importance of nurturing curiosity and talent through national science programs.

We are proud to see the STEM pathways these two brilliant students from Nepal have followed and hope their journey will inspire many young students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Their achievements demonstrate how dedication to science and innovation can open global opportunities, enabling Nepali students to contribute not only to the development of Nepal but also to the broader global community while proudly representing Nepal on the international stage.

The Nepal Astronomical Society warmly congratulates Sudip Rokaya and Rohan Bhattarai on this remarkable achievement. Their success is not only a proud moment for NASO and the National Astronomy Olympiad program, but also an inspiration for the broader Nepali youth and startup ecosystem.

We wish them continued success as they take Lamina Labs to the global stage and look for possible collaboration to support education system in Nepal with their EdTech product/s. 

18th NASO Day: Foundation Day of the Nepal Astronomical Society

 -Kathmandu, Nepal

The Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) proudly celebrates its 18th Foundation Day, marking nearly two decades of dedicated efforts to inspire curiosity and expand knowledge in astronomy and space science across Nepal. Since its establishment, NASO has been at the forefront of nurturing young talents, fostering public interest, and promoting scientific temper through diverse outreach, education, and research initiatives.

On this special occasion, NASO is delighted to announce the handover of astronomical equipment to NASO-Karnali, a regional chapter of NASO. This initiative is aimed at amplifying astronomy and space science outreach activities in Karnali Province, one of Nepal’s most geographically diverse and educationally promising regions. The equipment handover, coordinated under the leadership of Dr. Pushpa Raj Acharya, represents a significant step toward ensuring equitable access to astronomical resources and opportunities for communities in the province.

Speaking on the occasion, NASO Chairperson Suresh Bhattarai remarked:

"As we mark 18 years of NASO, we reaffirm our commitment to making astronomy and space science accessible to all. The expansion of our outreach activities in Karnali Province reflects our vision of inclusive scientific growth, where every student, teacher, and enthusiast can look up to the skies with curiosity and confidence."

Adding to this, Dr. Pushpa Raj Acharya, Coordinator of NASO-Karnali, said:

"The handover of these astronomical instruments is a milestone for Karnali Province. It will empower our educators, students, and communities to engage directly with the universe, sparking curiosity and building scientific awareness in a region where access to such resources has been limited. Together with NASO, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of space science enthusiasts from Karnali."

With the handover of equipment, NASO-Karnali will be better equipped to conduct stargazing events, school-based astronomy sessions, teacher training, and public engagement activities that spark interest in the wonders of the universe.

NASO extends heartfelt gratitude to all its members, partners, and well-wishers who have supported the society’s journey since its inception. Together, we look forward to scaling new heights in the coming years as Nepal strengthens its presence in the global astronomy and space science community.

Press Release: NASO hosts OAE Node Nepal!

Date: August 27, 2021

Press Release

NASO hosts OAE Node Nepal

We are pleased to announce that the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) received the honor of hosting the first Node of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education network. The OAE Node Nepal joins the OAE Center Italy and the OAE Center Cyprus in a growing network of larger OAE Centers and smaller OAE Nodes. The OAE Node Nepal is a collaboration between the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE), and the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO). As a host of the OAE Node Nepal, NASO will closely work with IAU for an exciting future of fruitful collaborations.

We expect to have the opportunity to offer and learn from our national, regional and international partners, playing a leading role in educational engagement. It will focus on citizen-science projects in low-tech environments, teacher training programs and training for astronomy Olympiads whilst working to build the OAE’s network of collaborations particularly in the SAARC region and, more generally, with countries facing similar challenges around the globe.

Teresa Lago, IAU General Secretary, says, “I am very pleased to see the rapid growth of the network of OAE Centers and Nodes. This is a confirmation, not only of the real need for the OAE as a fundamental pillar for the IAU to achieve its strategic goals, but also of the worldwide recognition of the relevance of the OAE’s activities and the willingness to be involved in them as a closer partner”.

Markus Pössel, the OAE Director, says: “Supporting astronomy education world-wide is a massive endeavor, and requires a team of strong partners. We are happy to welcome our colleagues from Nepal to that team- it is great that the Nepal Astronomical Society have taken the step to dedicate significant resources to our common goal!”

About NASO:

The Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) is a not-for-profit organization in Nepal. Its main aim is to create a strong scientific community within the country. It provides a common platform for all astronomy/astrophysics/space science enthusiasts. It promotes science & technology via its outreach, education and research activities on astronomy and space science. It is also hosting IAU NOC Nepal Committee and IAU NAEC Nepal Teams and World Space Week Nepal Committee respectively.

For more info: www.nepalastronomicalsociety.org

About OAE:

Founded by the IAU in December 2019, the OAE is hosted by the Haus der Astronomie (HdA) and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy located in Heidelberg, Germany, with a mission to promote and support the development and improvement of astronomy education and related sciences all over the world. In pursuit of its mission, the OAE is building a network of collaborators and partners. In particular, this includes a network of National Astronomy Education Coordinators, who volunteer to act as liaison between the OAE and specific countries, and a network of OAE Centers and OAE Nodes: “branch offices” funded by suitable host organizations that have an interest in furthering astronomy education. HdA’s hosting the OAE was made possible through the support of the German foundations the Klaus Tschira Foundation and the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

For more info: https://www.haus-der-astronomie.de/OAE

About IAU:

The IAU is the international astronomical organization that brings together more than 12 000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognized authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

For more info: https://www.iau.org

Contacts for further information:

Suresh Bhattarai

Chairperson

Nepal Astronomical Society

Cell: +977 981 87 34 326

Email: suresh@nepalastronomicalsociety.org

Niall Deacon

Coordinator

IAU Office of Astronomy for Education

Email: deacon@astro4edu.org

Lars Lindberg Christensen

IAU Press Officer

Email: lars@eso.org

प्रेस विज्ञप्ति: आजबाट हामी पन्ध्रौं वर्षमा प्रवेश!

मिति: भदौ ९, २०७८

प्रेस विज्ञप्ति

आजबाट हामी पन्ध्रौं वर्षमा प्रवेश

नेपालमा खगोल तथा अन्तरिक्ष विज्ञान सम्बन्धि जनचेतनामुलक गतिविधि गर्दै, यस क्षेत्रमा अध्ययन एवं अनुसन्धानका लागि वातावरण सृजना गर्ने अभियानका साथ वि. सं. २०६४ सालबाट शुरु भएको हाम्रो यात्रा विभिन्न आरोह/अवरोह पार गर्दै आजबाट विधिवत् रूपमा चौध वर्ष पुरा गर्दै पन्ध्र वर्षमा प्रवेश गरेको जानकारी यहाँहरुसामु प्रस्तुत गर्न पाउँदा निकै हर्षित छौं। हामीलाई थाहा छ यो हर्षसंगै थप चुनौतीहरू हामीसामु आउँनेछन्। देश तथा विदेशमा रहनुहुने हाम्रा कनिष्क, असोसियट, साधारण, आजीवन सदस्यहरू तथा अहोरात्र खट्ने स्वयंसेवकहरु यस्ता चुनौतीहरूको सामना गर्दै देशमा थप अवसरका आयामहरु सृजना गर्न सधैं अग्रसर रहने कुरा यसै प्रेस विज्ञप्ति मार्फत् व्यक्त गर्न चाहन्छौं ।

नेपाललगायत एसियाप्रशान्त एवं मध्यपूर्व क्षेत्रका देशहरूमा हाम्रो ज्ञानलाई बाढ्ने अभियानमा हामीलाई विश्वास गरी सहकार्यका लागि अग्रसर विभिन्न संघ/संस्था/विद्यालय तथा विश्वविद्यालयहरू प्रति हामी आभार व्यक्त गर्दछौं। नेपालमा बसेर के नै गर्न सकिएला र? भन्नेहरुका लागि हाम्रो अभियान आफैंमा एउटा चुनौती हुन सक्छ।

साथै विगतका भोगाइहरूबाट प्राप्त अनुभवसंगै यहाँहरूको साथ र सहयोगमा नेपाल अनि नेपालीको विश्वमानचित्रमा एउटा छुट्टै पहिचान बनाउने प्रयासलाई अझै सशक्त बनाउँदै लैजानेछौं। यसै सिलसिलामा कोभिड-१९ कै महामारीबीच केहि महत्त्वाकाङ्क्षी योजनाहरू सुरु गर्ने प्रयास गर्दैछौं। यस्ता महत्त्वाकाङ्क्षी योजनाहरूबारे आगामी दिनमा थप जानकारी दिदै जानेछौं।

विगत् १४ वर्षमा यहाँहरुले देखाउनुभएको सद्भाव, माया, विश्वास, सहयोगको लागि हार्दिक धन्यवाद् आभार व्यक्त गर्न चाहन्छौं। साथै, आगामी दिनमा अझै धेरै सहयोग, साथ, विश्वास र मायाको अपेक्षा पनि गर्दछौं।


धन्यवाद्।
सुरेश भट्टराई
अध्यक्ष
नेपाल एष्ट्रोनोमिकल सोसाईटी

Call for Proposal: Telescopes for All 2021!

We are pleased to share that IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) has call for the proposal from people around the world or its new project where they will be distributing 12 telescopes globally. The telescopes are signed by astronauts, Nobel laureates, astronomy communicators and scientists with inspiring roles in their communities.

Submit Your Proposal to IAU NOC by 11:59 PM NPT, May 30, 2021

We welcome proposals for projects that will broaden the horizons of children, parents and educators alike, sparking an interest in science and raise awareness of equal opportunities for pursuing a career in astronomy.

If you want to participate, reach out to IAU National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for Nepal and present them your proposal to request an endorsement. 

We encourage schools, college, clubs, individuals or amateur groups to apply for this call for proposal so that if they win the telescope they can serve their community with astronomy outreach. Priority will be given to activities that tackle gender equality and take underrepresented groups into account. 

Though IAU National Outreach Coordinators are also eligible to participate, IAU National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for Nepal will not participate in order to provide equal/fair opportunity to everyone applying from Nepal!

Submission Format:

Submit one paragraph (maximum in 300 words) describing how and where the telescope will be used to inspire underserved children with astronomy in Nepal

Submission Process:

• Individual/Group submits proposal to IAU NOC for review and recommendation. 
• IAUNOC/s provide recommendation 
• Individual/Group submits the proposal and recommendation from NOC to IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) via email: public@oao.iau.org with the subject line “Telescopes for All 2021”

Evaluation Criteria:

• Submissions will be evaluated by a representative from IAU OAO and SSVI and will be considered based on: 
• Creativity (if your proposal is original or has an original component to it), Impact (how it will affect the communities where it will be implemented), 
• Sustainability (if and how you will continue to use the telescope beyond the project). 

***Communities that are underserved in terms of telescopes provisions in the area/region will be given priority.***

The Telescopes:

The telescope is a refractor Bresser 90/1200 and will be delivered with a special mount, custom-made by amateur telescopes making group Kijkerbouw of the Public Observatory Armand Pien Belgium for SSVI. The equipment comes complete with a telescope tube, viewfinder, zenith prism, solar filter, 25mm and 15mm Plössl eyepieces, one electronic eyepiece (webcam), tripod and mount. This telescope can be used to observe the Moon, the planets of our Solar System, some of their moons, and the brightest Messier objects (e.g. the Orion Nebula, globular clusters, binary stars). 

IMPORTANT: The use of a solar filter is mandatory to observe the Sun. Severe eye damage will occur if you don't use a solar filter.

Notes on Shipping:

Winners will be sent a telescope (in one single package) with a tracking number. Information about the educational value of the telescope will be included. The recipient of the telescope will be responsible for any local expenses (like customs taxes). It is not possible to resend the telescope, so an accurate address and contact phone number must be provided.

Acknowledgements:

Sterren Schitteren Voor Iedereen (Stars Shine for Everyone - SSVI) is a cooperation between Volkssterrenwacht A.Pien vzw (Public Observatory Armand Pien) and Ghent University. The project is based on the idea that “all children in special education and vulnerable people should have the opportunity to admire the starry sky with the help of a telescope,” according to project leader and founder Jean-Pierre Grootaerd. 

SSVI is carried out by the amateur telescope making group Kijkerbouw of the UGent Public Observatory Armand Pien in Ghent, Belgium. Belgian astronauts Dirk Firmout and Frank De Winne parented the project SSVI and Science4Girls. SSVI is in collaboration with the Euro Space Society and Universe Awareness. 

Bresser has generously donated the telescopes to SSVI and Telescopes for All project. Telescopes for All is also possible thanks to the support from Leiden University.

Agreement with Applicants:

• All decisions of the project organisers about any aspect of the Telescopes for All, including eligibility or disqualification of applications, comments and images, and final distribution, are final and cannot be appealed. 
• By submitting information for the Telescopes for All about the conducted proposals, applicants consent to the use, reproduction, publication, transmission and dissemination of their name and information relating to the project by the organisers and/or partners, without compensation, in any publications or promotional material, to promote the projects and its winners. 
• Telescopes for All and the organisers reserve the right to make changes to the project at any time without prior notice, to temporarily interrupt the project, or to cancel the project without justification or being in any way accountable for this decision. No damages or compensation may be claimed by applicants to the project. 
• By submitting a proposal, applicants acknowledge that Telescopes for All, the organisers, and collaborators are not responsible for any local expenses (such as customs taxes) associated with receiving the telescope if the applicant wins a telescope. 
• Telescopes for All, the organisers, and the collaborators are not responsible for injury acquired through the use of a telescope acquired through Telescopes for All. Telescope users are responsible for their use of the telescope. 

For more information, please visit https://www.iau.org/public/telescopecollaboration/

'Blind Rocks!' selected to receive a telescope signed by astronauts and Nobel Laureates

This is a great news to share with you all that Blind Rocks! will receive a telescope singed by astronauts and Nobel Laureates this year. Blind Rocks! become one of the 17 communities around the world to receive a telescope for their outreach program. Congratulations Blind Rocks! team.

Ms. Sristi KC, Founder- Blind Rocks!

After getting the result of the selection, she shared with us, 

My vision always was an inclusive and egalitarian society. Winning this prestigious award has brought me one step closer to pursue my dream project of making astronomy inclusive for all. I am very grateful for NASO and entire committee for granting me this opportunity!

Nepal received a total of 23 applications before the deadline. Once we received the proposal, we provided our feedback to the individual/organisation for the possible improvements to make it more competitive. Total of 17 proposals have been endorsed for the further evaluation by the Office of Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) and team. 

The global call received received 172 applications endorsed by the IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) from 34 countries including Nepal

This is the first group of telescopes to be distributed by the Telescopes for All: Inspiring Stars & Stars Shine for Everyone Collaboration. 

Telescopes for All is a collaboration between the International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO), Stars Shine for Everyone (Sterren Schitteren voor Iedereen, SSVI) and Universe Awareness/University of Leiden. The programme seeks to broaden the horizons of children, parents and educators alike, to spark an interest in science, and to promote equal opportunities for pursuing a career in astronomy. The Telescopes for All programme is one of the legacy actions arising from the IAU100 rs celebrations and follows the successful collaboration in 2019. The 17 telescopes were donated by BRESSER.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a digital camera will be provided with each telescope, so that outreach professionals and science educators can conduct their observations and share them safely with their community online until safety measures allow for face-to-face interactions.

Shipping of all the telescopes will begin in late September 2020, provided that COVID-19 safety measures allow. 

To learn more about our activities in Nepal, please visit our official website: www.nepalastronomicalsociety.org

Partial Solar Eclipse Observed from Nepal!

Partial Solar Eclipse on June 21, 2020 proved as one of the best celestial event for us to reach millions of people from Nepal. Though COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our public observation campaign with cancellation of the many onsite observing facilities across the country, we implemented different mode of interaction to create this observing opportunities to people. We are very happy to see so many people across the country sharing their stories with us saying that our information and guidance helped them greatly to be prepared for the safe observation.

Photo 1: Composite of Partial Solar Eclipse from starting to maxima as seen from NASO office, Battishputali, Kathmandu on Sunday, June 21, 2020. Credit: Manisha Dwa

How did we manage to reach out more people encouraging them for safe viewing of the eclipse? This blog post is to help you understand our story closely!

June 13, 2020: Special Interview

We started coordination with Department of Survey for the coordinates of northwest tip of Nepal, Limpiayaadhura. We shared our new insight with Mr. Mani Dahal, member IAU NOC Committee Nepal, who interviewed Mr. Suresh Bhattarai, Chairman, Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) and IAU National Committee for Nepal and published the news! Click here to read this exclusive news which encouraged other media! It's really exciting how people accepted this idea and started interacting with media sharing the info following our footsteps!

Photo 2: Map of Byans Rural Municipality (ब्याँस गाउँपालिका) from where the maximum partial eclipse occurred on June 21, 2020. Limpiayadhura is a part of this municipality according to the map published by the Department of Survey (DOS), Government of Nepal. Credit: Mr. Mahesh Chandra Pudasaini

June 14, 2020: Press Release

We released our press release with an information about the eclipse with timings for capitals for each province as well as Kathmandu.

We would like thank all the media houses for covering our information and joining our outreach efforts. We would like to express our special thanks to Mr. Purna Prasad Mishra, member of the IAU NOC Committee Nepal, and Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) for the interview and sharing our information to RSS network. RSS is a national news agency of Nepal.

June 16, 2020: Call for Queries using hashtag #AskNASO

We released a special video for the public announcing that we will have a live Q/A session on Facebook Page scheduled for 7:00 PM, June 20, 2020. . We received several queries through email, Facebook and Instagram. Click here to watch the announcement/call.

June 18, 2020: Interaction on 'Astronomy Outreach and Education in Nepal'

This interaction program was tailored to the senior high school student and teachers. We shared some of our senior high school programs to the participants (teachers and students) from all seven provinces. Our main focus was to motivate and encourage the participants to observe the solar eclipse safely. We shared different methods of observations and recommended pinhole camera method in case the school or community do not have telescopes or solar eclipse glasses. Total of 193 participants registered for the interaction.

June 19, 2020: Special Weather Bulletin

For any national scale observation program, we have been contacting Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) for couple of years. We contacted them with our request for the special weather bulletin for the eclipse day so that we can plan our observation accordingly. We received the bulletin which was very helpful for us to be in confidence that we will at least get an opportunity to observe the eclipse. In fact, we were able to observe the eclipse from starting to max from our office then it started to rain in Kathmandu.

June 19, 2020: Video Release for Safe Observation of the Eclipse

We released a special video with an information on how people can build pinhole camera box for the observation of the partial solar eclipse from home. Ms. Manisha Dwa, project coordinator at NASO explained the method in single shot video in order to motivate people to understand the easy way to build it from locally available resources. Click here to watch the video.

June 19, 2020: Interaction with Junior High School students and teachers

We had an excellent interaction session with the junior high school students and teachers. Students were really happy to know the easiest method they can use to observe the solar eclipse safely from their home. Teachers were happy that they had something to engage their students during the eclipse time!

June 20, 2020: TV interview

We had a good session with Avenues TV team visiting our office for the correct information as they were confused with the information related to eclipse provided by B.P. Koirala Memorial Planetarium, Observatory and Science Museum Development Board (BPKMPOSMD). The BPKMPOSMD is a government body for astronomy, astrophysics and space science in Nepal under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

June 20, 2020: Interaction with SEE2076 students

This session was dedicated to the SEE2076 students ( who graduated class 10 this year) and the participants were from across the country. the session was hosted by Mr. Sagar Dahal, our National Astronomy Olympiad focal contact for Bagmati Pradesh and Vice-President of The Celebration Co-Ed School. The session was primarily focused on the solar eclipse and we spend our time interacting with the students and their queries related to eclipse.

June 20, 2020: Facebook Live Q/A Session on Eclipse

We had a very engaging Facebook live Q/A session where we answered queries from public. We answered the queries received through email, Facebook page and Instagram page as well as queries posted in our live session by the participants. Click here to watch the record of the session.

June 21, 2020: Eclipse Day

• NASO Live: The scheduled live streaming from our YouTube Channel get disrupted due to technical and connectivity issues. 
• Prime Times TV Live: We had the Prime Time Television joining us at our office for their live broadcasting of the eclipse with our interviews. Having a national television joining our live streaming encouraged us to help them to stream and share our scientific opinion on the solar eclipse. 
• Photography/Videography: Our team were busy taking photos and videos while interacting with the televisions as well as news agencies and other media visiting our office.  
• Interviews: Ms. Manisha Dwa was interviewed by Asian News International (ANI) and Mr. Suresh Bhattarai was interviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP) about the eclipse, our preparation and opinions/views on different superstitious beliefs related to solar eclipse. Besides these two news agencies, our team were busy giving interviews to different television channels, radios and online media in before and during the eclipse.
• Sharing Resources: We provided solar filters for the journalists assisting them for their photo and video reporting of the eclipse. We also provided eclipse glasses to them so that they can do some outreach while visiting other places for reporting.

Besides these activities, our office team was busy interacting and guiding science teachers at different locations for their arrangement of the safe solar eclipse observation programs. 

By now, we have reports of eclipse observations from province 1, province 2, Bagmati Pradesh, Gandaki Pradesh and province 5. We received a report of bad weather in Karnali Pradesh and Sudurpashchim Pradesh with didn't let people in this provinces to observe the eclipse. 

We also received several photos, videos and reports from students and teachers who used our video for making pinhole camera box for safe observation.

For those of you who have solar filters, eclipse glasses or made good pinhole camera box, we would advice them to keep them safe until October 25, 22 so that they can use it again for the safe observation. Yes, the next solar eclipse visible from Nepal will be on October 25, 2022 i.e. Kartik 08, 2079 (date conversion done with HamroPatro Mobile App). So, are you ready for 2022?

We would like to thank everyone who joined us to this one of the greatest moment of this year despite of this COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you!

All-Nepal Asteroid Search Training, June 4-5, 2020!

In order to help more students and teachers in Nepal understand the CCD Astrometry, Digital Sky Surveys and different astronomical software, types of asteroids, their discovery process, we are organizing a training each month this year. The June session will be held during June 4-5, 2020 where participants will get an opportunity to interact, build network with form their teams for upcoming asteroid search campaigns.

Click here to Register NOW ! 

Registration deadline: 5:00 PM, Wednesday, June 3, 2020

All-Nepal Asteroid Search Campaign will be held online during June 4-5, 2020 from 1:00 PM -4:00 PM. The details of the meeting will be provided to all registered participants via meial.

How to register? 

1. Fill in this form
2. Pay the registration: NRs 1,000 (One Thousand Nepali Rupees only)
3. Send us the proof of payment to confirm your seat

What are the prerequisite for participation?

In order to make your learn the skills and build good understanding of astronomical observation, we request you to have the following:

• Laptop/Desktop with Windows Operating System
• Internet connection
• Commitment in learning

How long will be the training?

• The online training session will be total of 6 hours which includes 3 hours introduction and 3 hours hands-on session in two consecutive days. 

Will I receive certificate of participation?

• Yes, a digital certificate will be provided to all successful participants via email.

Registration deadline: 5:00 PM, Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Since we introduced training program to support interested students and teachers to learn more, we have total of seven provisional discoveries until April 2020! The next can be you to discover more! Join the training and build your search skills!

Call for Astrophoto 2020!

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting joint 'Astrophotography Exhibition' with India and China In June 2020.

For this, we open a call for Astrophotos where anyone who has taken Astrophotos from Nepal can submit for the evaluation. Selected photos will be showcased during the exhibition.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition will be online. For more details, please read the information in the poster or contact us. 

Looking forward to welcoming some exciting works of you for the exhibition. 

Call for Proposal: Telescopes for All 2020!

We are pleased to share that IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) has call for the proposal from people around the world or its new project where they will be distributing 15 telescopes globally. 

***The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2020***

***Winners will be announced by June 15, 2020***

We encourage applications related to our IAU Global Outreach Events for 2020, especially in alignment with IAU OAO Inspiring Stars Program, in which the IAU endorses best practices for inclusive astronomy outreach. The main goal of the program is to broaden the horizons of children, parents and educators alike, sparking an interest in science and raising awareness for equal opportunities for pursuing a career in astronomy.

If you want to participate, reach out to IAU National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for Nepal and present them your proposal to request an endorsement.

We encourage schools, college, clubs, individuals or amateur groups to apply for this call for proposal so that if they win the telescope they can serve their community with astronomy outreach. Priority will be given to activities that tackle gender equality and take underrepresented groups into account. 

Though IAU National Outreach Coordinators are also eligible to participate, IAU National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for Nepal will not participate in order to provide equal/fair opportunity to everyone applying from Nepal! 

Submission Format

Submit one paragraph  (maximum 300 words) describing how and where the telescope will be used to inspire children with astronomy in Nepal.

Submission Process

1. Individual/school/college/club/group submit the proposal to IAU NOC for Nepal for endorsement
2. IAU NOC for Nepal provides endorsement
3. Individual/school/college/club/group submit the proposal and proof of endorsement from IAU NOC for Nepal to the IAU OAO via email (public@oao.iau.org) with the subject line: Telescopes for All 2020 

Submissions will be evaluated based on

1. creativity
2. impact
3. sustainability

About the Telescopes

The telescope is a refractor Bresser 90/900 and will be delivered with a special mount, custom-made by ATM group “kijkerbouw VSRUG” (Ghent Belgium) for the project SSVI. The equipment comes complete with telescope tube, viewfinder, zenith prism, one accompanying eyepiece plössl 25mm and the mount. This telescope can be used to observe the Moon, the planets of our Solar System, some of their moons, and the most bright Messier objects (for example the Orion Nebula, globular clusters and binary stars). A sun filter is also included.

​Notes on Shipping

Winners will be sent a telescope (in one single package) with a tracking number. Information about the educational value of the telescope will be included. The recipient of the telescope will be responsible for any local expenses (like customs taxes). It is not possible to resend the telescope, so accurate address and contact phone number should be provided.

If you have any queries or need assistance or further information about the project, please feel free to contact our office,

Nepal Astronomical Society

House No. 39/30, Manjushree Marg

Battishputali, Kathmandu

44621, Bagmati, Nepal 

NAO2020 Pre-closed Camp Result Published Today!

The result of the Pre-Closed Camp of the 7th National Astronomy Olympiad 2020 senior category, published today! Pre-Closed is the second round of the National Astronomy Olympiad (NAO) program in Nepal. It was held during February 15-March 15, 2020 students selected from the first rounds were provided different assignments. Based on the evaluation of the submissions of the assignments by the participants, 40 students have been selected for the final round i.e. closed camp of NAO.

Selected students will be invited to participate at the Closed Camp session to be held during Jun/July this year. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, we are working on online version of the closed camp.

Students are requested to contact our office for further details. We also request them to check their emails regularly for updates/preparation for the upcoming closed camps sessions.

Congratulations to all the selected students!

We are back!

It's been a while since we were not active in this blog due to several reasons! One of the reasons was that we could not access our blog hence unable to post updates of our activities almost a year!

If you have missed some of the important developments over a year then this blog may give you a quick access to all of them!

Over the year, we have introduced new programs such as space robotics in schools, national online space speech competition, junior category of the national astronomy Olympiad respectively. In the meantime, we have also worked on our existing programs such as Women in Science Award (WiSA), senior category of national astronomy Olympiad, community/school/corporate outreach packages, membership schemes, etc.

We also develop our guideline for partnership and collaborations in 2020 and beyond in order to  make sure it will become stable and sustainable. As our activities has been growing, this is one of the major challenges we are facing and want to reduce in coming days. In order to sustain the growth of our activities, our team at Kathmandu office has been working hard to identify the potential partners and draft clear partnership module. Not only we want  to increase our activities but also want to make sure the quality of our activities in coming days. 

With a support of Dr. Suman Satyal, member of our Scientific Advisory Committee, we have managed to set up our Paypal Account (our global window) to help our members outside Nepal to pay their membership dues, etc. We believe, it will also allow us to accept generous support from community outside Nepal to support our initiatives and activities. If you have seen us creating positive impact in our society and would like to be a part of it through your generous support, please contact us. Together we can bring big difference in our society.

Our team has grown in time and we have started hiring paid position from 2020. Thank you very much for staying with us and supporting us by all means! Ms. Janaki Chhantyal has been appointed as our program officer and the first paid position within our community! She has more than a decade long experience of science teaching in school/s in Pokhara and has completed Masters in Science with majors: Astrophysics and Plasma Physics. Lets welcome her in our community!

To know more about our team, please visit www.nepalastronomicalsociety.org/about-us/

We would like to thank all our well-wishers, supporters, partners, volunteers, interns, members and office staffs to make our dream possible!

We look forward to welcoming you in our efforts to create astronomy and space science accessible to all in Nepal!

IAU appointed a new National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for Nepal for next three years!

International Astronomical Union (IAU) general secretary Prof. Maria Teresa Lago has appointed Mr. Suresh Bhattarai, Chairman at Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO), as a National Outreach Coordinator for Nepal (NOC-Nepal). The term of the NOC will be for a maximum of 3 years and end at the next IAU General Assembly (GA) unless special notification made by the National Committee of Astronomy (NCA). Since Nepal has no NAC currently, he received his appointment from the IAU Secretariat. 

Photo: Newly appointed IAU National  Outreach Coordinator for Nepal (IAU NOC-Nepal). Credit: Manisha Dwa/NASO 

NOC is the principal national representative appointed under the IAU structure. The primary aims of NOCs are to implement the proposed IAU outreach initiatives at the national level, disseminate information and bridge the IAU with local communities.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is an international astronomical organization that brings together more than 12000 professional astronomers from around the world. Its mission is to promote and safeguard all aspects of the science of astronomy through international cooperation. The IAU also works to promote astronomical education, research, and public outreach activities. To learn more about IAU, please visit https://iau.org. 

These activities culminated with the organization of the UNESCO International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), which reached out to over 800 million people from 148 countries. The Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) was set up in 2012 to implement the Beyond IYA2009 plan, to build networks to support and disseminate information to the amateur astronomy and public outreach communities, and to ultimately make it easier for the public to access information about our universe. The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) is based in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. It is a joint venture between the IAU and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). To learn more about IAU OAO, please visit https://iau.org/public/.

IAU is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with many events around the globe and he will be coordinating IAU100 activities in Nepal. To learn more about IAU100, please visit www.iau-100.org.

Photo: IAU100 Banner for the celebration in Nepal. Astronomy enthusiasts are encouraged to use this banner at all their astronomy-related events in 2019 and use hashtag #IAU100Nepal and #IAU100. Credit: IAU

Mr. Bhattarai will be the working with the outgoing IAU NOC for Nepal Mr. Janayanta Acharya, Associate Prof. at Department of Astronomy, Valmiki Vidhyapeeth (Nepal Sanskrit University), Kathmandu as well amateur and professional communities in Nepal. 

2nd NASO Women in Science Award 2018 Announced!

We are pleased to announced the result of the 2nd NASO Women in Science Award 2018! This year the student and professional categories will be awarded to Ms. Shreeti Shrestha, B.E. Computer Engineering student at Pulchowk Engineering Campus, IOE, TU and Er. Promosha Mishra, Computer Engineer at Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) respectively. The award includes cash prize, trophy and certificates. 

Shreeti Shrestha says, It’s really a great honour to receive this prestigious award of NASO as Women in Science Ambassador 2018. Winning this award is more like a motivation than an achievement. Thank you NASO for boosting me up to keep pushing forward and make more contributions in science in days to come.

Er. Promisha Mishra expressed, "Lets move one step ahead to create women's confidence in science. Lets share the achievements of women in science. One step towards towards recognition and honor and inspirations. This year lets work to women's networking for science."

This year, we received total of 40 applications from eligible candidates from Nepal and abroad which were carefully reviewed via three stages.

Dr. Sandra Magnus, former American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and NASA Astronaut will distribute the awards during special event at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Khumaltar, Lalitpur on Wednesday, May 30, 2018!

This year, the cash prize is sponsored by Er. Rishi Shah, Academician at NAST and patron at NASO and Trophies and certificates are sponsoered by Er. Nancy Dwa, one of the Board of Directors at NASO respectively.

IDHSF2018Nepal: A Tribute To The First Human in Space!

To mark the historical day of the first human in space on April 12, 1961, Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) had a week long celebration as ' A Tribute To The First Human In Space' during April 6-13, 2018. On April 12, 1961, Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went to Space and spent 108 minutes around the earth opening a new era of human space exploration.

On 6th of April, an event 'Role of Astronomy and Space Science in Our Society' was conducted at Janaki Secondary Boarding School, Janakpur (Province 2). This event was attended by around 80 students who came to know about the role of astronomy and space science in our society.

Photo: Participants of 'Role of Astronomy and Space Science in Our Society' held at Janaki Secondary School, Janakpur during a group photo.

On 7th of April,  an event 'The Role of AI in Space Exploration' was conducted at Itahari International College,Itahari (Province 1). Mr. Santosh Ghimire presented his talk on AI and its role in exploration. In order to provide an overview of NASO and WIAN by NASO officials.

Photo: Participants during a group photo session after the event 'The Role of AI in Space Exploration' held at Itahari Interrnational College, Itahari.

On 8th of April,  an event 'Space Weather Science and Application' was conducted at Gandaki Boarding School, Pokhara (Province 4). This event was attended by around 10 students who came to know about space weather science and it's application.

Photo: Participants and school authority during the group photo after the event 'Space Weather Science and Application' at Gandaki Boarding School, Pokhara.

On 9th of April, an event 'Satellite Navigation for Socio-Economic Development of Nepal' was conducted at Southwestern State College, Kathmandu (Province 3). Er. Narayan Dhital, our 'GNSS Working Group' lead and AirMeetsSpace Engineer at DLR, Germany presented his talk to the audience. Click here to access the talk.

Photo: Participants during a Q/A session of an event 'Satellite Navigation for Socio-Economic Development of Nepal' at Southwestern State College, Basundhara, Kathmandu.

On 10th of April, a webinar on the topic Connecting the planet from the Space Coast to the Himalayas was held between Ryan L. Kobrick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Spaceflight Operations at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona, FL, USA and chairman of Yuri's Night (www.yurisnight.net) and Mr. Suresh Bhattarai, chairman at Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) to inform the students about the possibilities of space science in Nepal. Click here to watch the webinar.

On 11th of April, an event 'A new Era of Exoplanetary Science: Is there an Earth 2.0?' was held in the premise of Southwestern State College,Kathmandu. During this event a webinar was held with Dr Suman Satyal and students to inform about the exoplanetary science. Click here to watch the talk.

Photo: Participants discussing their questions to Dr. Suman Satyal during an event 'A new Era of Exoplanetary Science: Is there an Earth 2.0?' held at Southwestern State College, Basundhara, Kathmandu.

On 12th of April, a wenibar on 'Terrnaut Nepal: An Opportunity to train like a Yuri Gagarin'  was held in order to give more insights on Terranaut Nepal. Bishal Manandhar, CEO/Founder at Srothe Code and Suresh Bhattarai, Chairman at NASO discussed on how 'Cosmo Run Space Dash' mobile game (online) can be promoted among Nepali so that they can be a apart of this historic program in Nepal. Click here to watch the webinar.

On 13th of April,  an event 'Importance of Autonomous System in Our Daily Life' was held in Shubh Sanskar English Boarding School, Bhairahawa (Province 5). This event helped student to know the importance of autonomous system in our daily life and space too.

Photo: Participants during an event 'Importance of Autonomous System in Our Daily Life' held at Shubh Sanskar English Boarding School, Bhairahawa.

Besides these events, we also had an interaction as a radio talk show via Bishaya Prabesh in Image Channel News FM 103.6 MHz. RJ Kamal Rana  and NASO chairman Suresh Bhattarai talked about different aspects of space science and status of activities in Nepal. Chick here to listen the full interview. 

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Sano Sansar Youth Hostel Pvt. Ltd.-Kathmandu, Janaki Secondary School-Janakpur, Ithari International College-Itahari, Southwestern State College-Basundhara, Gandaki Boarding School-Pokhara, Shubh Sanskar English Boarding School-Bhairahawa, Yuri's Night and IAU Office of Astronomy for Development for their supports to our celebration. We would also like to thank Natraj Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd. for joining us as our travel partner. 

Moreover, those of you who showed their active participations in all these events are our motivation for better event/celebration in 2019 AD!