The Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics under the Department of Physics at the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan recently.

According to a CUTN release, the establishment of the centre responds to the growing interest in astronomy and astrophysics among students and researchers. Earlier, the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) had established the IUCAA Centre for Astronomy Research and Development (ICARD) at the university, where regular workshops and seminars on astronomy and astrophysics were conducted.

The new centre will promote research, training, and more scientific publications, as well as collaborative projects in astronomy and astrophysics. The Centre will organise workshops, seminars, observational programmes, and hands-on training in telescope operation and astronomical data analysis for students and researchers.

In his presidential address at the inaugural function, Mr. .Krishnan said there was increasing interest among students and researchers in astronomy and astrophysics. He expressed confidence that the facility would emerge as one of the major centres for astronomy and astrophysics, the release added.