Famed Nizam Observatory in ruins, eqpt gathering dust

Hyderabad: The city of Hyderabad is famous for its historical monuments, but it is also a cradle for modern astronomy in India. The city played host to one of the earliest modern astronomical observatories established in India in the early twentieth century.

The Nizamia Observatory was established in 1908 by the erstwhile Nizam's government, and instruments were donated by one of the leading nobles, Nawab Jafar Jung, who was also an amateur astronomer. The instruments included an 8-inch astrograph and 15-inch refractor. One of the landmark contributions of the observatory was the publication of 13 volumes of the Astrographic Catalogue of the Hyderabad zones of the sky.

It is said that in 1908, 7 lakh stars were spotted at the Nizamia Observatory. Speaking to The Hans India, Deepak Kant Gir, founder & managing trustee of Hyderabad Heritage Trust said, "Post-restoration, the Nizamia Observatory can be revived with an active outreach program with day and term courses on astronomy and astrophysics. The restored observatory can be a museum with limited viewing of celestial objects.

A planetarium experience can be planned using new Hololens mixed reality viewing of celestial objects. The main building can serve as a virtual observatory with the state of the art data research center.

The workshop shed can become an auditorium with an active scientific lecture series inviting the finest minds in the world. A revived Nizamia Observatory can be a hub of scientific research and activity, something the students and people of Hyderabad can enjoy and learn from."