Advanced Darksky Observatory inaugurated at IIT-Hyderabad

Advanced Darksky Observatory will host a 0.5-meter Robotic optical telescope which will have a magnification of 1000x, capable of detecting active galaxies up to a distance of 1.5 Giga light-years

Sangareddy: Former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Dr K Radhakrishnan inaugurated an Advanced Darksky Observatory (ADO) at the Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad campus at Kandi in Sangareddy on Tuesday.

The ADO will host a 0.5-meter Robotic optical telescope (largest among small telescope categories) which will have a magnification of 1000x, capabilities of resolving a structure as small as 25 km on the surface of the moon, individual rings of Saturn, detecting active galaxies up to a distance of 1.5 Giga light-years (1419 billion kilometres). Primarily designed as a frontier research facility in Astronomy, ADO, with adaptive imaging and multi-filter spectroscopy, will deliver imaging and spectroscopic data banks, which will be valuable assets for research and modern teaching. It will also complement ISRO’s current and future space-based astronomical observatories.

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Speaking on the occasion, Dr Radhakrishnan said the IIT-H would become a major contributor to space research if all engineering and science capabilities of this institute are put together. He appreciated the Institute for installing the robotic telescopic on the campus. The entire project was funded by IIT-H.

Director of IIT-H Prof BS Murty, Head of the Department of Physics Prof Prem Pal, Assistant Professor Mayukh Pahari and others were present. The IIT-H has also celebrated the National Science Day on the theme of “Global Science and Global Wellbeing”.