Ladakh may get world's largest telescope

The world's largest telescope project may come up in Ladakh after facing hurdles in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, which was the first preferred choice.

Hanle in Ladakh has reportedly been shortlisted for the $1.47-billion project by Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) International observatory, reported a leading daily.

"After the February meeting, the board has decided on two prospective sites - Hanle and another in Chile. Yes, it was an unexpected turn for the project which got delayed due to the decision of the Hawaiian supreme court," TMT India programme director B Eswar Reddy told the daily.

The Hawaii Supreme Court had in December 2015 cancelled the permit issued to TMT for constructing the observatory following claims that the plot in Mauna Kea was sacred, the report said.

"Meanwhile, the project is also looking for prospective sites both in northern and southern hemispheres, including Hanle," he added.

India is reportedly expected to invest $212 million in the project. Meanwhile, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) Bengaluru and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, along with two government departments - the department of science and technology (DST) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) - have been working on the project since 2013.