SPACE presents "Project Paridhi" celebrating the summer solstice at Qutub Minar, Mehrauli > 11am-1:30pm on 21st June 2013

Time : 11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Entry : Free
For queries please contact:
Anupriya Keshri; pr@space-india.net ; 9212669953
Public Relations Officer,
SPACE India.

Place : Qutub Minar, Mehrauli, New Delhi
Venue Info : Events | Map | Nearest Metro Stations(Yellow Line) - 'Saket' & 'Qutub Minar'

Event Description : SPACE the pioneer organization working towards the development of science and astronomy in India, will be celebrating the summer solstice on June 21st, by conducting “Project Paridhi” using Delhi landmarks Qutab Minar and the sundial at BaraPullah.

Project Paridhi is a flagship program started by SPACE FOUNDATION to popularize hands on science. Under this project, SPACE experts will replicate and in fact take actual measurements of the shadows made by the Sun to measure the CIRCUMFERENCE of Earth as done 2300 years back by astronomer - Eratosthenes. SPACE has conducted this project previously at Jantar Mantar and by using the giant sundial constructed at Barapullah during the commonwealth games. This project had highlighted how such monuments, admired for architectural and tourism facets can be used as tools to demonstrate and get the common man interested in science. Specifically, the accuracy of the sundial at Barapullah was highlighted.
June 21, 2013 will be the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and called the summer solstice.
It will be the longest day in the northern hemisphere with sunrise at 5:13 am and sunset at 7:03 pm, making it a day of almost 14 hours duration. Qutub Minar will be used as a towering gnomon for the 1st time and the shadows cast by this monument on the ground due to the movement of the sun will be marked AND USED to calculate the local noon, and in turn to MEASURE THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF EARTH.
This will be demonstrated to the public THUS SHARING THE CAUSE OF SPREADING SCIENCE to the MASSES particularly at a location where a lot of tourists visit. The measurements at Barapullah will be made for the 3rd time during summer solstice in the process of a 1 year cycle of measurements during all solstices and equinoxes to fulfill the scientific need to conduct the same experiment during a different angle of the Sun in the sky.
SPACE Foundation encourages everyone to do this experiment at least once in their lifetime. This project is a showcase for proving that science can be best learnt by doing. “Project Paridhi” is one of the best examples of hands on science activity as one can calculate the circumference of Earth BY USING simple backyard tools and measuring the SHADOW cast by a gnomon on the EARTH AND TRIGNOMETRIC FORMULAE.