Astronomy for Underprivileged Children

Hello everyone!

Could you please help us show thousands of underprivileged children the stars and teach them astronomy?

We really want to share this experience with children who have never seen anything like this before and it will be an immersive, astronomical experience in their own language (Urdu).

Background:

"Aim for the stars", we are told by our mentors, teachers, and parents when we are expected to excel. We Look upwards for hope and inspiration, we look up at the heavens when we are missing loved ones who have passed. There is something special about sleeping under the stars in our hometowns. But most importantly, looking at the stars gives us perspective, it broadens our mental horizons. Humanity is indeed united under the night sky; we share the same Sun and Moon, the same stars (depending on which hemisphere we live in, of course).

Pakistan used to have three planetariums, the PIA planetariums in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar. The ones in Lahore and Peshawar are now defunct, and the one in Karachi is working in a limited capacity. Hence, we decided to make a low cost portable planetarium to show children the stars! Attached is a picture of the beautiful cardboard and wooden planetarium equipped with an immersive full dome projection system using a normal projector and a traffic mirror.

The problems with this particular design are:

1. Limited capacity: it can seat around 5 people comfortably at a time, and therefore we cannot invite and host larger groups such as class field trips
2. The materials used to build it are not weather proof this cannot be placed outside
3. Projection quality: since we are not using a powerful enough projector and proper spherical mirror, the image quality is compromised.

We have therefore embarked on an ambitious adventure to build a 40-seater portable planetarium made out of fibre glass and metal. We decided to produce the planetarium locally instead of importing one. Also attached is a picture of the metallic structure and fibre glass dome.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE: We have locally manufactured a metallic and fibre glass, portable planetarium (picture attached). Due to the fluctuation in exchange rates, the costs have been unpredictable and hence we require your help to finish the planetarium

WHAT'S LEFT:

1. Walls/Base
2. Audio system
3. Proper projection system
4. Carpet and cushions for seating.
5. AC/heater for ventilation
6. Transportation

FOR WHOM: Underprivileged children, especially girls who are not allowed to attend star gazing and other educational activities at night.

WHERE: On October 12th and 13th at Lahore Science Mela 2019, (and on subsequent science melas in other cities across the country)

WHY: In this day and age when the world is uniting to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030, it is imperative that we give our children perspective, inculcate humility, and provide them with quality education. Astronomy brings together all the natural and physical sciences, mathematics, and data science. If we are to become a space-faring nation, we need to inspire young minds to pursue relevant fields!

At this stage, every pound counts! Please, please support us!

For people in countries who cannot make payments here, please contact us at [email protected] for details! Thank you!