PANAJI: Contrary to popular belief that the first astronomical use of the telescope in India was recorded in Surat in 1651, it was actually first used in Goa in 1618, says Ramesh Kapoor, an astronomer and former professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics from Bengaluru.“Until now, it was believed the first telescopic use was in 1651 by an Englishman named Jeremiah Shakerley for the observation of transit of the planet Mercury across the disc of the sun; an observation made from Surat. But, in 1618, within a decade of the invention of the telescope, the device was used in Goa by a Jesuit astronomer, Fr Kirwitzer of Bohemia (now Czech Republic),” he said.According to him, the priest was a part of a group of Jesuits from Rome who were on their way to Macau to spread Christianity. Some of them were cartographers, map makers, mathematicians besides astronomers.“They were sojourning at Goa to wait for the winds to be favourable again, before they could continue their journey to Macau,” he said.Kapoor said while the Jesuits were in Goa in November 1618, there were two great comets that occurred. November 2018 marks the 400th year since the independent discovery of the comets by Kirwitzer with the help of the telescope. This became the first astronomical use of the device in India which until then was only used during sea voyages to keep a watch on the horizon. “Mughal emperor Jehangir is the only other person besides Kirwitzer to have documented the two comets,” Kapoor said.To commemorate the day, members of the Astronomical Society of India, the Nehru planetarium, Delhi, and amateur astronomical organizations joined in celebration of a few events in India, one of which is the 400 years since the first use of the telescope in India. Astronomy enthusiasts gathered at Goa Science Centre , Miramar on Sunday to observe the event.

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