Asia's largest 4-meter telescope inaugurated in Uttarakhand

Tags: Science and Technology National News

Asia's largest 4-meter International Liquid Mirror Telescope was launched in Devasthal in Uttarakhand on 21 March.

An overview of the news

• The telescope was officially inaugurated by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh.

• It has been established at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) located in Nainital, Uttarakhand.

• The observatory will explore the deep sky, collecting an assortment of objects ranging from asteroids to supernovae and space debris.

About the International Liquid Mirror Telescope

• It consists of a 4-metre-diameter rotating mirror made of a thin layer of liquid mercury to collect light.

• It mainly consists of three components.

• The first bowl contains a reflective liquid metal (mercury).

• The second air pressure driven motor on which the liquid mirror rests.

• Third is a system to run the motor. The surface of liquid mirror binoculars naturally takes on a parabolic shape as it rotates, which is ideal for focusing light.

• A thin transparent film of micellar liquid protects the mercury from wind abrasion, which can create ripples on the surface of the mercury.

• The reflected light passes through a sophisticated multi lens optical corrector which produces clear images over a wide field of view.

Why was the telescope made?

• It is designed to survey the night sky and detect variable and transient objects such as supernovae, space debris and gravitational lenses.

• Through its data, the telescope can analyze objects in the sky using machine learning and artificial intelligence.