Observatories in India

The first major optical observatory in independent India became operational at the Manora Peak, Nainital in 1953 thanks to the dedicated efforts of Dr Vainu Bappu, one of the greatest astronomers of modern India. 

This observatory, now called Aryabatta Research Institute of observational Sciences, hosts a 104 cm telescope and is planning to acquire a 3 metre class telescope.
Vainu Bappu later founded the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore which now operates an observatory at Hanle, Ladakh.

Located at a height of 4500 metres, this is the world’s highest observatory and has the 2 m class Chandra telescope.

In addition, Bappu was the spirit behind developing a small village in Tamil nadu, Kavalur, into the Vainu Bappu observatory —  so named in his honour —  which houses an indigenously made 2.3 metre telescope. Other telescopes include the 1 metre telescope run by Osmania University at the Japal-Rangapur site near Hyderabad and a 1.2 metre telescope at Mount Abu operated by PRL.

The latest optical telescope to join the fray is the 2 metre class Girawali telescope operated by Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. This became operational nearly three years back on 13 May 2006 and is located at the village of Girawali, 80 km north of Pune at an altitude of about 1000 metres.

India also has facilities at wave bands other than optical. The most important amongst them is the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) located at Khodad near Pune and operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics.

This giant facility, which became operational in 1995, is currently the world’s largest aperture synthesis radio telescope operating at metre wavelengths. The effort in constructing it was led by Govind Swarup of TIFR who had earlier set up India’s first major radio telescope — the Ooty Radio Telescope — at Udhagamandalam in 1970. In addition, radio astronomy facilities exist at Bangalore and Gauribhidanur.

In the field of high energy astronomy, the Indian effort were originally initiated by Homi Bhabha. The high altitude research laboratory at Gulmarg operated by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the high energy gamma ray observatory at Pachmarhi run by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) are two facilities for gamma ray astronomy in India which came up because of his vision. 

Next year, India proposes to launch the dedicated astronomy satellite ‘Astrosat’ which will act as an observatory in space and gather data from celestial bodies in the x-ray and UV band.  This project is a joint venture of several research institutions in the country.

India also has a solar observatory at Udaipur which concentrates on the study of the Sun. It has three telescopes which are used to study helioseismology and the observations of the chromosphere of the Sun.

This observatory also participated in international programs devoted to the study of the Sun by linking with other solar observatories elsewhere in the world. This is operated by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) at Ahmedabad.