Mysuru: ‘Astronomy and Astrophysics are one of the frontier areas of research and provides challenging career option to the graduates’, said Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) senior Professor AK Pati.

He was speaking at the three-day state level workshop on ‘Astronomy and Astrophysics’ organised by department of Physics and Mathematics at St Philomena’s college here on Wednesday.

Presenting a lecture on  ‘Why study Astronomy and Astrophysics?’ he said, astrophysics allows us to verify the laws of Physics as the same laws apply on the far objects in the universe, he further explained in detail about time sequence of the universe, solar system, and cosmic calendar.

Highlighting the importance of workshop, Prof G Rajalakshmi, HOD, Department of Physics, said that many students from Mathematics and Engineering streams have successfully pursued careers in Astrophysics and many premier national institutions have dedicated programmes for research in this area.

‘Astronomy is one of the oldest areas of scientific endeavour which led to fundamental developments in the areas of mathematics and physics. Though the students of Physics at the under graduate level are exposed briefly to such developments, the curricula does not provide sufficient exposure to appreciate the fascinating frontiers of this area of research and study. Thus, the workshop has been organised to know deeper in the subject,’ she opined.

Delivering talk on ‘Birth and Evolution of Stars’, Prof Gajendra Pandey, IIA, Bangalore said that ‘stars are large balls of hot gas, but they look small as they are far in distance.’

Rev Fr Leslie Moras, Principal of the college gave a call for students to learn Astrophysics as humans haven’t been completely able to reach out to the universe. Lecturers, students of physics and mathematics, research scholars were present in the workshop.