The India Astronomical Observatory is located in the Hanle region in Leh of Ladakh. Hence another name of the India Astronomical Observatory is Hanle Observatory.
It is famous because the Indian Astronomical Observatory has optical, gamma rays, and infrared telescopes and it is one of the world’s highest observatories currently in the 9th position.
It is very important to know the meaning of astronomy because people get confused between astrology and astronomy.
Astronomy Meaning
The meaning of Astronomy in the Indian Astronomical Observatory. Astronomy is the study of the phenomenon beyond the earth and the objects. Where cosmology is a branch of astronomy that studies how the universe works and the origin of the universe, how it has evolved. For example, we know that the universe originated from the big bang the chemical elements around it.
Branches of Astronomy
There are mainly 3 branches of astronomy.
- Atmospheric science -the study of weather and atmosphere.
- Planetary formation -the evolution and the formation of the solar system and the formation of moons and planets.
- Exoplanetology – various exoplanets which are outside our solar system.
Types of Astronomy
There are 2 types of astronomy: Observational and theoretical
- Observational- observational astronomy is used for the observation of stars and galaxies and many other objects in the universe. Or something it is just used to look at them.
- Theoretical – theoretical astronomy uses modern-day computer technology and maths to predict what might happen next and to prepare the models of studies and even can be used to educate people about it.
Astrophysics meaning
Astrophysics explains the birth, life, lifecycle, and death of a star, planets, nebula, galaxies, voids, and many other things moving in the universe. It is a branch of space science that deals and applies with physics and chemistry and the other two neighbors like astronomy and cosmology and there is a very thin line between them.
indian astronomical observatory upsc
Observatory meaning
A place is decided where the buildings are built for the observation of natural phenomena and they are heavily equipped with the instrument for better observations. An institution primarily used for celestial events, marine and terrestrial life. The observatory can be built for other purposes and different fields of sciences other than astronomy.
Different types of Observatory
- Gravitational-wave observatory
- Antimatter observatory
- Radio observatory
- Microwave observatory
- Ground-based observatory
- Solar observatory
- Neutrino observatory
- Cosmic ray observatory
Also Read: What Is The Importance Of Education In Our Life
Location of India Astronomical Observatory
Located about on the altitudes of 4500 m. Approximately 14,800 feet above sea level. The coordinates are 32• 46′ 46″ N 78• 57′ 51″ E.
It is operated by the India Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. Indian Astronomical Observatory has the highest optical telescope in the world. India Astronomical Observatory was established in the year 2001.
Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle
Address of India Astronomical Observatory
The India Astronomical Observatory is located on Mount Saraswati Digpa Rasta Ri Hanle in Southern Eastern Ladakh.
History of India Astronomical Observatory
The committee chaired by Prof. B.V Sreekantan recommended that a large optical telescope should be taken as a National priority project in the late 1980s.
Under the leadership of Prof. Arvind Bhatnagar in the year 1992, the search for the observatory was taken up. India Institute of Astrophysics founded the site for the observatory in Hanle.
Between 26 to 27 September in 2000 the first light was seen by the 2 meters observatory telescope in the midnight hour.
By mister Farook Abdullah who was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 2 June 2001. The satellite link between the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology, Bangalore and Hanle was inaugurated.
Observations of India Astronomical Observatory
Throughout the year the Hanle observatory site is deemed to be an excellent vision for visible infrared and sub millimetres observation.
In the Indian Astronomical Observatory the place where it is located in addition there is the plus point of the place low pollution, nights, water vapour, atmospheric aerosols, low humidity, low concentration of atmosphere and low ambient temperature. Hence these beautiful conditions yield about 255 spectroscopic and 190 photometric nights per year with a very less annual rainfall of about 10cm only.
Facilities at India Astronomical Observatory
The observatory has 2 active telescopes: The Himalayan Chandra Telescope(HCT) and High altitude Gamma-ray telescope (HAGRT). Which are about 2.01meter optical infrared.
The Himalayan Chandra Telescope is operated from Bangalore by the remote and the centre for research and education in science and technology using a dedicated satellite link.
Himalayan Chandra Telescope
The Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) is named after the Nobel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. It is an optical infrared telescope of about 6.5 feet.
The unique feature of the telescope is that it is designed to withstand low temperature because it contains a modified Ritchey Chretian system with a primary mirror made of ULM ceramic.
The telescope has 3 mounted science instruments, the part known as the Himalayan Faint object, the near IR image and the optical CCD imager.
The telescope can be operated through remote which allows the operation made possible in the sub-zero temperatures in winter the remote is operated by INSAT-3B satellites link.
The telescope was manufactured in the USA in Tucson, Arizona.
Growing of India Telescope
Early it has been set up as a part of an international growth program that has been widely used to dominate astronomy. It is the initiative of the multi-country collaboration. Its light was first seen in the year 2018. Global relay of observatories watching transients happen (GROWTH) -India telescope is 0.7 m wide. The telescope is operated jointly by IIT Bombay and the India Institute of Astrophysics.
The goals are threefold.
- Whenever the LIGO group detects a binary Neutron star merger they search for the explosion in the optical regime.
- Study nearby asteroids.
- Study nearby young supernova explosions
Functioning of Transient survey
The transient survey involves scanning the part of the sky, moving on the other areas, returning to the first part repeatedly and comparing images to see changes such as increased or decreased in brightness of a source
The telescopes have a sensitive camera capable of detecting even the faintest transient found by the partner survey telescope such as the Zwicky Transient Facility in California.
Background
It was commissioned 6 months ago soon after which it started taking readings in June in the year 2018.
High Altitude Gamma Ray telescope
Each telescope has 7 mirrors over a total area of 4.4 square meters. The high altitude gamma-ray telescope is an atmospheric Cerenkov experiment with 7 telescopes that was set up in 2008.
There was the periphery of the circle with a radius of 50m and the telescopes were deployed with one telescope at the centre. Each telescope is alt-azimuth mounting.
Kodaikanal solar observatory
It is owned by the Indian astronomical observatory. It is a solar observatory that is operated by the India Institute of Astrophysics. It is located in the Tamil Nadu of South India. In the Palani hills 4 km away from the Kodaikanal town in Dindigul District.
The alternative name is Kodaikanal observatory. It is at an altitude of 2343m. The solar data collected by the observatory is the oldest continuous series of India of its kind. In January 1909 Evershed Effect was first detected in the observatory.
Due to the unique geography of Kodaikanal precise observation of the equatorial electrojet was made here. Surface observation, Ionospheric sounding, vertical drift, Geomagnetic, F region observation are regularly made here.
History
Mr Blanford, the reporter of the government of India and a meteorological department recommend ‘ the improvement of the work of the solar observation to obtain accurate measures of the sun’s heating power at the earth’s surface and its periodic variations in early 1881.
In May 1882 Norman Robert Pogson the government astronomer proposed the need for photography and spectrography by using the 20-inch telescopes of the sun and the stars which could be done from the hill station of south India.
Famine followed the Madras presidency on 20 July 1993. For a better understanding of the monsoon pattern, there was a need to study the sun. And for this, a meeting held at the UK secretary India observatory the committee was chaired by Lord Kevin. And decided to build a solar physics observatory at Kodaikanal in South India which is located at a high altitude and dust-free also. Michie Smith was made the superintendent. They started with work and transferring equipment in 1895 from Madras and finally founded the Kodaikanal Observatory on 1 APRIL 1899.
List of famous observatories in India
- Astronomical observatory, Nainital
- Kodaikanal Observatory, Kodaikanal
- Telescope observatory, Yelagiri
- Udaipur Solar Observatory, Rajasthan
- Gauribidanur Radio observatory, Bangalore
- Madras Observatory, Chennai
- High altitude Gamma-ray Observatory, Ladakh.
- Girawali observatory, Pune
Astronomical observatory, Nainital
The full name of the Nainital astronomical observatory is Aryabhatta Research Institute of observational sciences(ARIES). It is located on the top of Manora peak in Beluwakhan, Nainital.
The observatory is equipped with high powered imported telescopes which will help you to see the moons, stars, other heavenly bodies and celestial bodies. As it is a governmental and scientific research centre you need to have a proper and prior appointment to visit the place.
The ARIES has one of the most advanced telescopes available. The observatory is an autonomous institution that is open to the public in the day and afternoon but if you want to see the sky at night you need to make an appointment 3 to 4 days before the full moon.
House of Scholars
India is the house of the old scientists prevailing for many years.
In India, Brahmagupt is known for the discovery of astronomy. Whereas the father of astronomy is Manali Kallat Vainu Bappu.
Brahma Gupta
He was the first mathematician to provide the formula for the area of a cyclic quadrilateral. He made significant contributions to geometry. He was the first to discuss the rational side method of finding a cyclic quadrilateral.
He made many theorems on the circum diameter of a triangle and obtaining the diagonals of a cyclic quadrilateral and they are popularly known as Bhaskara II in 1158 AD. Everyone was so charmed by him that people named him Mahamatiman as a very intelligent person.
Today some modern-day scientists are so named as.
- G Madhavan
- Priyamvada Natarajan
- Sangeeta Malhotra
- Thanu Padmanabhan
They are 21st-century scientists and contributing to the field of astronomy. The oldest site for astronomy was Jantar Mantar. It is located in Jaipur, New Delhi Varanasi and Ujjain.
Jantar Mantar
The Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur in 1724 constructed the Jantar Mantar observatory. The purpose of making the Jantar Mantar was to create an astronomical table to predict the movement and time of the celestial body such as the moon, sun, and other planetary bodies.
The building itself acts as a huge instrument that helps in the prediction. It has instruments like Smarat Yantra, Jayaprakash Yantra, Misra Yantra and many more.
And after the Jantar Mantar was constructed in New Delhi. Raja Jai Singh constructed many Jantar Mantar at different rather popular locations like Jaipur, Mathura, Varanasi and Ujjain. They are popular tourist sites as well.
Leave a comment