Our Mentor
Mr. Arvind Paranjpye, Director, Neharu Planetarium, Mumbai
Currently serving as the director of Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai (since December 2011); Arvind has been interested in Astronomy for most of his life. His first accolade in the field was being a part of the team at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics that became the first in India to discover a new Asteroid. This was in 1988, and the asteroid was named 4130 Ramanujan. The team was awarded the Astronomical Society of India Medal for the discovery of an asteroid. On 23rd January 1990, the team discovered another asteroid, 17446 Mopaku, which was granted its name after the 3 team members Venkatachala Moorthy, Arvind Paranjpye, and Kamatchiappan Kuppuswamy.
Arvind joined the Inter-University of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in 1991 and was involved in science popularization with the institute. He has been writing regularly in newspapers and giving interviews on Astronomy in Television and Radio.

Our Team

Sandip Shelar, Founder
Sandip’s fascination with the night sky began in his childhood, growing up in a small village where the skies were always clear and full of stars. That natural beauty nurtured his passion for astronomy and inspired him to pursue higher studies in physics. After completing his MSc in Physics, he explored various roles in education, but his heart always remained connected to the cosmos. Over the years, he gained more than 15 years of experience in stargazing and astronomy, constantly learning and sharing his knowledge with others.
In 2014, Sandip transformed his lifelong passion into action by founding Stargazing Mumbai, which initially began as an astronomy outreach project for tribal students. What started as a humble initiative has now grown into a movement that connects people with the wonders of the night sky. Through this platform, Sandip continues to inspire curiosity, spread awareness about astronomy, and create memorable experiences under the stars for countless enthusiasts.

Meet Panchal
Msc. Physics
Sr. Science Communicator

Pramod Dukhande
Chief Officer- Field

Venkatesh Anantharaman
Msc. Physics
Sr. Science Communicator

Mandar Paripurna
Msc. Astrophysics
Sr. Science Communicator

Ritik Shah
ETC Engineer
Sr. Science Communicator

Divyanshi Agarwal
Msc. Astrophysics
Sr. Science Communicator

Aman Singh
Msc. Physics
Sr. Science Communicator

Abhishekh Panchal
Msc. Physics
Sr. Science Communicator

Nilesh Bandekar
Msc. AstroBiology
Sr. Science Communicator

Rhushikesh Kadam
Sr. Science Communicator

Soham Patwardhan
Msc. Astrophysics
Science Communicator

Simran Ghag
Science Communicator

Saikiran Kumbhar
Aerospace Engineer
Technical Manager

Laxman Jadhav
Social Media Manager

Mohit Shah
Science Communicator

