Agastya at the HDSR Star Party

Agastya, or Canopus is the second brightest star in the sky. It is also known as the ‘Rishi of the South’. The declination of Agastya is -51° 42′, and from the latitude of Hanle (~33°) it appears just about ~5° above the southern horizon. With the presence of 2° high mountains on the southern side the altitude seems even lower, just about ~3° above the mountain top.

The visibility of Agastya at Hanle is just for about 3 hours above the southern horizon. It is visible when the brightest star, Sirius is at its highest. Canopus and Sirius are both visible high in the sky simultaneously, and reach the meridian just 21 min apart.

Various cultures around the world have named this star differently. In ancient India, it was named Agastya after the revered Vedic sage. For Chinese astronomers, it was known as the Old Man of the South Pole. In the middle east region it is known as Suheyl, or its variation.

In this image Sirius can be seen high in the middle of the image, hugging the Milky Way, while Agastya can be seen hugging the hills on the horizon. Bright orange-greenish airglow is also prominent along the horizon.

The image was shot at 04:21 IST on 13 October, just before astronomical twilight.

Neelam & Ajay Talwar