Radha Gobinda Chandra, born in 1878 in Bagchar village (now Bangladesh), began life as a humble coin tester earning Rs 15 a month. Fascinated by the night sky, he learned astronomy from books in his uncle’s library, his grandmother’s folk wisdom, and guidance from lawyer-astronomer Kalinath Mukherjee.

In 1910, Chandra became one of the first in Bengal to spot Halley’s Comet using binoculars. Determined to explore further, he bought a 3-inch refracting telescope from London in 1912 for Rs 160, later reinforcing it with a brass tube. Over decades, Chandra recorded nearly 49,700 celestial observations - tracking comets, eclipses, variable stars, and novas .

His contributions earned recognition from the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), which gifted him a 6.25-inch reflector telescope. Generous to the core, Chandra donated his first telescope to a Calcutta school, sparking a legacy of astronomy in Bengal.