BEN Member Launched Gamma-ray Telescope into Space
On 16 April 2010, BEN Member Dr Dipen Bhattacharya and his research team launched a gamma-ray telescope into space from Alice Springs, Australia to look for x-ray and gamma rays coming from special objects like black holes and supernova and fast-spinning stars in our universe. Dr Bhattacharya is an astrophysicist working with gamma-ray detectors at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics in the University of California, USA. He is also the Head of Climate Change of BEN, Bangladesh Chapter. He is the son of Late Justice Debesh Chandra Bhattacharya.
On 17 April 2010, BEN Australia led by Mr Kamrul Ahsan Khan organized an informal discussion with Dr Bhattachrya in Sydney’s Baisakhi Mela where participants were curiously listening to his gamma-ray expedition. Among the participants a young Stargazar, Arara Kar has interviwed him about his research on space science and his contribution to save Bangladesh from climate disaster.
He is a founder member of Anushandhitshu Chokro Science Organisation and plays a major role in the advancement of amateur astronomy in Bangladesh. He wrote two Bengali science fiction novels: ‘Neolith Shopno’ and ‘Avijit Nokkhotrer Alo’ and has received acclaim from young scientists in Bangladesh.
The discussion was attended by BEN members- Dr Abul Hasnat Milton, Dr Ajoy Kar, Dr Jesmin Hasan, DR Mamta Choudhury, Dr Nilufar Jahan, Dr Swapan Paul, Dr Zakia Hossain, Advocate Zakir Hossain, Mr Imtiaz Kais, Mr Nehal Bari and others.
Dr Dipen Bhattachrya was accompanied with his wife, Lisa and they left Sydney for USA on 18 April 2010.
By Ajoy Kar
