‘Sky Watcher’ telescope a hit at Sharjah Astronomy Open Day

Sharjah: The Sharjah Museums Department held an open day at the Sharjah Science Museum to mark International Astronomy Day, where more than 400 students from four different schools were informed about the history of astronomy though several activities.

Along with lectures and workshops about the most recent astronomical developments and discoveries, visitors were also able to individually identify and try out several types of modern tools and equipment used by international astronomers to observe stars and various celestial bodies.

Some of the equipment included solar sunglasses and telescopes such as sun spotters, solar scopes, and the student’s favourite, the Sky Watcher. Having a 160 magnifying capacity, the Sky Watcher enabled the visitors to indirectly observe the sun and some of the spectacular space objects.

“Our main focus on this fifth Astronomy Day event is to update the students and visitors on the latest astronomical developments and information from around the world,” said Azza Ahmad Safar, curator of Sharjah Science Museum.

The open day’s programme also included a display of a host of astronomical tools and instruments as used by Muslim scientists during the Islamic Golden Age.