Why in News?
Union Budget approval for establishing two new telescopes (NLST, NLOT) and upgrading an existing telescope (HCT) in Ladakh to strengthen India’s observational astronomy and solar science capabilities.
Description:
Key Terms:
- Optical telescope: Observes visible light
- Infrared telescope: Detects heat radiation from celestial objects
- Time-domain astronomy: Study of objects that change brightness or position over time
- Segmented mirror: Large mirror made of smaller mirror segments
Major Telescope Projects:
| Feature | National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) | National Large Optical-IR Telescope (NLOT) | Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) Upgrade |
| Aperture Size | 2-metre class | ~13.7-metre (90 hexagonal segments) | 3.7-metre (Segmented mirror) |
| Primary Location | Merak (near Pangong Tso), Ladakh | Hanle, Ladakh | Hanle, Ladakh |
| Wavelengths | Visible & Near-Infrared | Optical & Near-Infrared | Optical & Near-Infrared |
| Primary Science | Solar magnetism, solar flares, and space weather forecasting. | Exoplanets, galaxy evolution, and origins of the Universe. | Transient astronomy (supernovae, variable stars). |
| Strategic Role | Complements Aditya-L1; fills a global longitudinal observation gap. | India’s premier large-aperture facility; peer to world-class telescopes. | Follow-up for LIGO-India and Square Kilometre Array (SKA). |
Key Insights:
- The Ladakh Advantage: All three facilities are concentrated in Ladakh due to its high-altitude desert climate, which provides low atmospheric moisture and “coronagraphic skies” (high transparency) essential for clear imaging.
- Hanle (IAO): India’s first Dark Sky Reserve; home to HCT and the future NLOT.
- Merak: Specifically chosen for NLST due to the laminar winds over Pangong Lake, which reduce air turbulence (improving “seeing” quality for solar observations).
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