Mumbaikars might be struggling to see past the next building in their path, courtesy the falling AQI (Air Quality Index) in the city, but a few optimistic stargazers are already preparing for the future. Traditionally, winters are the best season for astronomy owing to the long nights, and clear skies. To take advantage of the season, the Nehru Science Centre is planning a quick adventure outside the city, in Palghar, with their overnight stargazing session that opens in the first week of January.

“We often hold stargazing sessions with schools at the centre. But there are limitations to how much of the sky we can observe in the city,” director Umesh Kumar Rustagi says. The bright lights, particulates in the air, and tall structures can affect the visibility of the telescopes, making it difficult to see stars farther out in the spatial field.