Mangaluru : H. Jayantha (66), the former Professor of Chemistry of St. Agnes College, who was instrumental in spreading scientific temper among people in the city and holding sessions on astronomy, passed away in Mangaluru on Thursday night following a cardiac arrest.

He leaves behind his wife, two daughters and his elderly mother.

Mr. Jayantha, a member of Amateur Astronomers Association, was popular as an eclipse expert because of the sessions he conducted in the last 30 years. He was known for educating people about eclipses, meteors and other wonders of the sky. In order to provide better view of the sky, he lived in a house in the outskirts of the city in Saripalla.

His last astronomy session was in December 2020 during the solar eclipse when a group of students from Pune were among the many who joined to see the eclipse safely through the telescope installed by Jayantha on the roof of his house.

He was also involved in activities building scientific temper among students and conducting a programme named Sunday Science School. A multi-faceted personality, Jayantha was an avid trekker and was involved in Yakshagana, music and other cultural activities in the city. He worked closely with the Regional Science Centre in Shivarama Karanth Nisargadhama in Pilikula here and also was involved in activities of PADI, a social organisation.