A total lunar eclipse is to occur on the night of 7-8 September 2025, which will be visible from all over India. This is an excellent opportunity for everyone to witness this rare celestial spectacle, and also be engaged in scientific enquiry and curiosity.

 

Therefore, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics organised two “Train the Trainers” Workshops during 2-3 August 2025, one at the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Kavalur, and the other at the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory in Kodaikanal. These workshops were to train science and astronomy communicators and teachers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry so that they can in turn organise preparatory workshops and eclipse viewing camps in their neighbourhoods.

The workshop at Kodaikanal Solar Observatory and Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur had a total of 60 participants, of whom about a quarter were women. These participants ranged from people nominated by organisations like Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Council (TNSTC), TN Government Model Schools Society, Tamil Nadu Astronomy Science Society (TASS), Tamil Nadu Science Forum (TNSF), Pondicherry Science Forum, AID India, as well as individual government school teachers and science popularisers.

Both workshops had a number of talks on eclipses, the characteristics of the upcoming eclipse, and activities that can be done before and during the eclipse by students and public, as well as focus group discussions on how to organise workshops and eclipse camps throughout the region. These were delivered by the astronomy staff at these observatories as well as experienced science communicators from the other organisations. The workshops also included a tour of the observatories.

 

The participants developed detailed strategies to spread awareness of the total lunar eclipse across TN and Puducherry, as well as preliminary plans to organise a large number of eclipse camps during the event.

 

The partial eclipse will start around 10 PM on 7 September, and ends at around 1:30 AM on 8 September, and the platform formed during the two workshops gave a call for everyone to see the lunar eclipse with their own eyes. Further information will be announced on the social media pages of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (handle is @iiabengaluru).

 

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(Release ID: 2152620)