Looking up: A different sky - GetBengal Story

The sky has always called to a few restless souls—and Suman Dutta is one of them. While others saw boardrooms and spreadsheets, he saw galaxies and comets; while others chased deadlines, he chased the light of distant stars. Swapping the hum of corporate life for the quiet of open fields, he carried telescopes on his shoulders to remote villages, hills, and islands, transforming ordinary nights into celestial adventures. For him, stargazing is not just science—it’s a way to awaken wonder, spark curiosity, and make the universe feel like home for children, communities, and dreamers alike.

• Chandrabindu’s Anindya Acharya once wrote in Bhindeshi Tara: “Amar bhindeshi tara, tomar onyo paray bari, ami paina chute tomay, amar ekla laage bhari!” Similarly, Raghav Chatterjee too lamented in his song, “Chaand keno ashe na amar ghore…” It seems Bengalis always carry a yearning for the skies. Was it from that very longing that your work in this field began?

You know, every child grows up with that first moment of looking at the sky—taught by a grandmother, grandfather, or parents. And almost always, the very first gaze falls on the moon. Seeing the moon feels a lot like falling in love for the first time—there’s a joy in it that words can’t capture. And I believe everyone falls for it in their own way.

Let me share a small experience with you. I was in Gangtok, Sikkim, meeting some school-children up in the hills. We were talking in a little corner, when suddenly, from behind the mountains, a huge moon began to rise. Its red glow spreading, its size growing—still it gives me goosebumps. It looked almost like a giant football in the sky. The children, teachers, even the school principal—everyone broke into cheers. And I realized, no matter how many times you see the moon, every single time is a new experience.

Now, through a telescope, it’s something else altogether. When you see the craters, the surface, the textures—it transforms the simple joy of moon-gazing into something deeper. That’s how my journey truly began.

• For how long have you been associated with this work, and how did you first get into it?

It’s been around 13 and a half years. Earlier, I was in the corporate sector—worked there for about 11 years. But after a point, I thought: why not channel this “madness” of mine into something meaningful? So, I bought a small telescope. I carried it on my shoulders to places like Namkhana, Kakdwip, and the Sundarbans, visiting schools and showing children the night sky.

Initially, it was tough. Schools couldn’t always arrange time in the evenings, so many attempts failed. For nearly a year and a half, I faced rejections, but eventually, a door opened. One workshop led to another, and soon, many schools welcomed me.

Then I realized—just showing the sky isn’t enough. People also need access to the instrument itself. And not just the telescope—they need guidance to use it. You can’t just hand someone a telescope and expect them to know how to look at Saturn. You have to teach them the basics—the “ABCs.” How to set it up, how to focus, how to track the sky. That became my mission.

Over time, we also built a lifelong learning community. Whoever buys a telescope from us is added to our WhatsApp group, where we guide them whenever they face difficulties. And another thing—I always clarify this. Our skywatching workshops are in collaboration with ISRO as their educational partners. This doesn’t mean ISRO gives us telescopes. It means we help explain their scientific missions—like Chandrayaan, or how robots land on the moon, or what the benefits of lunar exploration are. We bring those scientific updates to schools and colleges, free of cost. That’s also a big part of what we do.

• Since your work is so educational, has there been any incident during a workshop that truly surprised or touched you?

Absolutely. Let me share one from the Sundarbans. After a session where we showed Saturn through the telescope, I was returning by train when my phone rang. It was a child from that program. He was at home, pointing out planets and stars to his neighbors, saying, “That’s Saturn, that’s Jupiter, that’s the Pole Star.” Whenever he got stuck, he called me right away, asking, “Sir, will you tell me so I can explain it correctly to everyone here?” That moment—seeing a child become a teacher for his whole neighborhood—that’s the kind of reward that keeps me going.

• Did you also study this subject academically?

No, actually. I studied science, did an MBA, and then worked in the private sector. I never thought I’d make this my life’s work, my career. But when I left my job to start something of my own, I wanted to do something different—not what everyone else was already doing. I started from zero, with nothing but a desire to take this “mad passion” somewhere meaningful. It’s been a long, difficult journey, but here I am.

• What are the most common questions or doubts people usually have before buying a telescope?

The most common one is—“Can I see galaxies? Nebulas? Deep sky objects?” Another is—“How big will Jupiter or Saturn look?” Thanks to the internet, people see giant images online and assume a small telescope will show them the same.

So, I explain that what you see depends on the diameter of the telescope. A very basic telescope, maybe ₹5,500, will let you see the moon’s surface beautifully, and planets like Jupiter or Saturn will appear as bright dots. As the diameter increases, the telescope’s capacity to gather light and show detail also increases. The bigger the telescope, the more you can see. That’s how expectations have to be set.

• Which celestial objects have you observed that gave you the most joy?

One unforgettable experience was in the Andaman Islands. I run a project there with about 60 telescopes, mostly on Neil and Havelock Islands. Tourists spend the day exploring, and in the evening, we take them to the beach to look at the sky.

There, for the very first time in my life, I saw the Orion Nebula with my own eyes. It was breathtaking. And when seen through the telescope, of course, it appeared larger and more detailed. But that first glimpse—those delicate colors visible to my eye—was something extraordinary.

• Where have you all traveled with telescopes?

Quite a lot of places. Districts like Asansol, Burdwan, Purulia (where I’m also working on a new project), Darjeeling, Gangtok, and of course the Andamans. Beyond that, I’ve done programs in Shimla, Kullu, Manali. And I’m planning another project near Guptkashi, just before Kedarnath. Let’s see if that materializes.

• What message would you like to give children about their future with astronomy?

When you ask children what they want to become, most say teacher, doctor, or engineer. I tell them—if you want to be a doctor, think of becoming a doctor for astronauts. If you want to be an engineer, think of designing for ISRO. The mindset needs to expand.

Earlier, ISRO did everything on its own. Today, they collaborate with startups, often founded by just two or three IIT graduates. That means the sky is no longer out of reach. If children start with curiosity—by simply looking up at the sky—gradually they can aim for bigger opportunities, even NASA or ISRO.

• With time, everything evolves. What do you see as the future of telescopes?

In the past, we used manual telescopes. Then came digital ones—you press a button, and it shows you Jupiter or Saturn. Now, technology has gone even further. We have compact telescopes that connect to your phone or tablet. They can automatically track objects and even do astrophotography—capturing stunning images in seconds. They’re lightweight, easy to carry in a small bag, and open up the universe to anyone, anywhere.

• Off record you mentioned “astro tours.” What exactly are these?

Along with instruments and education, we also organize astro tours. These are short trips—say two nights and three days—to beautiful destinations. They’re not just about stargazing. We combine them with meditation under the open sky, jungle walks, and lying flat on the ground to truly connect with the Earth while looking up at constellations. And of course, the telescope experience is the highlight.

I often tell people in corporate jobs, who are always busy—just once, take some time out and join an astro tour. It’s a life-changing experience.

• Since you mentioned constellations, could you explain them a little more?

Constellations are star patterns—groups of stars that ancient civilizations imagined as pictures. Long ago, when there were no modern vehicles, people navigated seas and measured time by these stars. Different cultures gave them their own mythologies—Greek, Chinese, Hindu. Stories helped people remember them.

Today, astronomers officially recognize 88 constellations. Some can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere, others from the Southern. Learning to identify them is like learning a secret language of the night sky—something deeply beautiful and fulfilling.

The night sky, Suman Dutta shows us, is more than stars and planets—it is a universe of possibilities. From a child in the Sundarbans describing Saturn to curious neighbors, to tourists on an Andaman beach gasping at Orion, to school children in Gangtok cheering at a giant moonrise, the cosmos becomes a shared wonder, a living poem. For Bengalis, the sky has always been a canvas of longing and imagination—Anindya Acharya’s unreachable stars, Raghav Chatterjee’s absent moon—and Suman turns those verses into moments you can see, touch, and feel. Through his eyes and telescopes, the stars and the moon shimmer within reach, inviting everyone to pause, look up, and let the universe awaken awe, curiosity, and the quiet joy of dreaming beyond the ordinary.