Dr Nandivada Rathnasree; 10 Things To Know About The Well-Known Astronomy Communicator

The director of Nehru Planetarium and notable astronomy communicator Dr Nandivada Rathnasree died at the age of 57 on Sunday after a battle with COVID-19. Dr Rathnasree joined the planetarium in 1996 as a senior educator. She later became its director in 1999. She is credited with several new initiatives and projects during her long time at the planetarium.

Anuj Sinha, who is the former director of the National Council for Science and Technology Communication talked about Dr Rathnasree and said that she was devoted to her role. He also added that she would work day and night, and on weekends to ensure that astronomy reaches people.

Here are 10 things to know about Dr Nandivada Rathnasree:

1. Dr Rathnasree became the director of the Nehru Planetarium in 1999 and served in her position until her death.

2. She worked in the Planetarium for 21 years not only as the torchbearer of astronomy education in India and guiding light for communicators in astronomy around the country.

3. Dr Rathnasree mentored several students on short term astronomy projects.

4. She organised multiple exhibitions on several important astronomical events and Indian astronomical & space activities.

5. Dr Rathnasree who was born on November 26, 1962, in Hyderabad, finished her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya in 1981.

6. She finished her graduation from the University College for Women in Hyderabad and did her masters at the Hyderabad Central University.

7. She was the first doctoral student at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and was a theoretical astrophysicist.

8. Later, she moved to study pulsars at the University of Vermont during her post-doctoral fellowship with the radio astronomer Joanna Marie Rankin from 1992 to 1994.

9. She also carried out the pulsar observations by using the Arecibo radio telescope.

10. On the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, she organised "Bapu Khagol Mela", which was a year-long campaign in which many astronomy outreach activities at many locations where he had lived.