BENGALURU, INDIA — The Indian and international scientific communities mourn the sudden passing of Prof. Parameswaran Venkatakrishnan, a pioneering solar physicist, on April 12, 2025, at the age of 72. His last rites were performed on April 14 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Prof. Venkatakrishnan was globally recognized for his extensive contributions to solar physics, particularly in the study of solar magnetic fields. His scientific career started in 1974 at the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), completing his PhD in 1984 followed by service leading up to Professor position at the IIA. From 1999 to 2015, he served as Senior Professor and Head of the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO), where he led numerous groundbreaking initiatives that elevated India’s standing in solar research.
Among his most celebrated accomplishments was the development of the 50 cm Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST), India’s first high-resolution solar telescope, which he championed from inception. His leadership in this area earned his team the ISRO Team Award. He also promoted cutting-edge techniques such as Adaptive Optics and Fizeau Mask Interferometry to improve the resolution of solar observations.
A prolific researcher, Prof. Venkatakrishnan published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and mentored 13 Ph.D. students, many of whom now hold positions at premier institutions worldwide. His early theoretical work, including a landmark 1986 Nature paper on the convective collapse of magnetic flux tubes, laid foundational insights that were later validated by high-resolution observations.
He played a crucial role in shaping India’s space science agenda. He was a key contributor to the vision behind Aditya-L1, India’s first dedicated solar observatory in space, and served on several ISRO advisory and review panels. After retirement, he continued as a Distinguished Professor at USO and IIA and worked closely with the Aditya-L1 mission team as Visiting Professor at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (2018–2020).
Beyond his research, Prof. Venkatakrishnan authored three science books aimed at popularizing solar science: Our Daytime Star: A Brief History of the Sun, The Amazing Story of Kuton the Photon, and Off to an Eclipse. He was admired for his humility, accessibility, and lifelong encouragement of young researchers.
He is survived by his loving wife and two sons. His intellectual legacy and mentorship continue to inspire the solar physics community in India and beyond.
Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru
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Udaipur Solar Observatory/Physical Research Laboratory, Udaipur