Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India said that astronomy is a fascinating subject. The more we know, the more we want to know.

UNESCO Kalinga Awardee 2009 and Kalinga Chair awardee for popularization of science in the world, Prof. Trinh X Thuan, Professor of Astronomy, University of Virginia, USA, UNESCO delivered a lecture at National Science Centre Pragati Maidain in New Delhi on December 28. This lecture series was organized by Heart care Foundation of India on behalf of National Council for Science & Technology Communication Dept.of Science & Technology. The lecture was attended by about 500 people from all walks of life including school students.

An exhibition on Chemistry for Human Welfare developed by National Council of Science Museums was also inaugurated by Prof. Thuan. Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India said that astronomy is a fascinating subject. The more we know, the more we want to know.

In his lecture, Prof. Trinh X. Thuan, spoke about many universes and galaxies like this universe that has been discovered by the modern day astro scientists through the use of radio waves and hebbal telescopes. He further said these galaxies and universes like our solar system are billions of light years away. Prof. Thuan himself an expert on research in dwarf galaxies showed in his power point backed presentation, the type and shape of many dwarf galaxies that he has founded. 

The professor added that prior to the seventeenth century, it was believed that earth is the centre point and other starts included sun revolves around it and there is only one solar system, but this theory was later modified to present concept that sun is stationery and all other planets in this solar system including earth revolves around it.

This fact has further been modified by modern day astroscientis (with the advent of state of art  technologies) that our solar system is only amongst  the billions of such solar systems present in this universe, that are billions of light years away.

While welcoming the chief guest Prof. Thuan, Mr G S Rautela Director General National Council of Science Museums Ministry of Culture Govt. of India, said that National Science Centre is the only institution in the country which is having interactive scientific modules on all types of scientific inventions that have taken place in the world with the advent of modern day science.

Dr Aggarwal said that research has proved that yesterdays miracles are today’s science and similarly today’s miracles will be science tomorrow. While relating human body elements to the number of particles on universe, he said that what we assume as myth in our religious literature, have lots of scientific backing but for want of proper documentation, it has been popularized as religious theory, may be to bind the people together which must have been the call of the day when these were scripted. He called upon the scientists to help the mankind by understanding the revealing the scientific background of these so called religious myths.

Ms Shashi Ahuja Director NCSTC Dept. of Science & Technology said that the ministry has been working hard to infuse new blood and research in pursing pure science subjects and this is one of the methods that the ministry has evolved to honour /recognize those who work continuously for the welfare of mankind popularization of science. She called upon the youth and student community to follow the path of scientists who have been working hard to learn and solve scientific theories that are useful for the mankind as a whole.