Abstract
A review of modernization and growth of ground based optical and near-infrared astrophysical observational facilities in the globe attributed to the recent technological developments in opto-mechanical, electronics and computer science areas is presented. Hubble Space Telescope and speckle and adaptive ground based imaging have obtained images better than 0.1 arc sec angular resolution bringing the celestial objects closer to us at least by a factor of 10 during the last two decades. From the light gathering point of view, building of large size (>5 m aperture) ground based optical and near-infrared telescopes based on latest technology have become economical in recent years. Consequently, in the world, a few 8–10 m size ground-based optical and near-infrared telescopes are being used for observations of the celestial objects, three 25–40 m size are under design stage and making of a ~100 m size telescope is under planning stage. In India, the largest sized optical and near-infrared telescope is the modern 3.6-m located at Devasthal, Nainital. However, the existing Indian moderate size telescopes equipped with modern backend instruments have global importance due to their geographical location. Recently, the Government of India approved India’s participation in the thirty meter telescope project.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Swarup G, Anathakrishnan S, Kapahi VK, Rao AP, Subrahmanya CR, Kulkarni VK (1991) The giant metre-wave radio telescope. Curr Sci 60:95–105
Swarup G (2015) Major advances in radio astronomy: some key questions today. Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sec A Phys Sci 85(4):465–481
Singh KP, Tandon SN, Agrawal PC, Antia HM, Manchanda RK, Yadav JS, Seetha S, Ramadevi MC, Rao AR, Bhattacharya D, Paul B, Sreekumar P, Bhattacharyya S, Stewart GC, Hutchings J, Annapurni S, Ghosh SK, Murthy J, Pati A, Rao NK, Stalin CS, Girish V, Sankarasubramanian K, Vadawale S, Bhalerao VB, Dewangan GC, Dedhia DK, Hingar MK, Katoch TB, Kothare AT, Mirza I, Mukerjee K, Shah H, Shah P, Mohan R, Sangal AK, Nagabhusana S, Sriram S, Malkar JP, Sreekumar S, Abbey AF, Hansford GM, Beardmore AP, Sharma MR, Murthy S, Kulkarni R, Meena G, Babu VC, Postma J (2014) ASTROSAT mission. Proc SPIE 9144:15 article id. 91441S, doi:10.1117/12.2062667
Reddy BE (2013) India’s participation in the thirty-meter telescope project. J Astrophys Astron 34:87–95
Simard L (2013) The thirty meter telescope: science and instrumentation for a next generation observatory. J Astrophys Astron 34:97–120
Sanders GH (2013) The thirty meter telescope (TMT): an international observatory. J Astrophys Astron 34:81–86
Sagar R (2000) Importance of small and moderate size optical telescopes. Curr Sci 78:1076–1081
Misra K, Sagar R (2009) An insight into the progenitors of gamma ray bursts from the optical afterglow observations. Curr Sci 96:347–356
Sagar R, Pandey S B (2012) GRB afterglow observations from ARIES, Nainital and their importance. In: Gamma-ray bursts, evolution of massive stars and starformation at high redshifts, ASI Conference Series 5:1–13
Bhattacharyya JC, Bappu MKV (1977) Saturn-like ring system around Uranus. Nature 270:503–506
Bhattacharyya JC, Bappu MKV, Mohin S, Mahra HS, Gupta SK (1979) Extended ring system of Uranus. Moon Planets 21:393–404
Sagar R, Mohan V, Pandey SB, Pandey AK, Stalin CS, Castro-Tirado AJ (2000) GRB 000301C with peculiar afterglow emission. Bull Astron Soc India (Rapid Commun) 28:499–513
Resmi L, Ishwara-Chandra CH, Castro-Tirado AJ, Bhattacharya D, Rao AP, Bremer M, Pandey SB, Sahu DK, Bhatt BC, Sagar R, Anupama GC, Subramaniam A, Lundgren A, Gorosabel J, Guziy S, de UgartePostigo A, Castro Cerón JM, Wiklind T (2005) Radio, millimeter and optical monitoring of GRB 030329 afterglow: constraining the double jet model. Astron Astrophys 440:477–485
Mallik DCV (1998) Twenty five years of observational astronomy at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Curr Sci 74:735–745
Bhattacharyya JC, Rajan KT (1992) Vainu Bappu Telescope. Bull Astron Soc India 20:319–343
Prabhu TP (2014) Indian Astronomical Observatory, Leh-Hanle. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad 80:887–912
Anandarao BG, Chakraborty A (2010) PRL Mt. Abu Observatory: new initiatives. ASI Conf Ser 1:211–216
Gupta R, Burse M, Das HK, Kohok A, Ramaprakash AN, Engineer S, Tandon SN (2002) IUCAA 2 meter telescope and its first light instrument IFOSC. Bull Astron Soc India 30:785–790
Sagar R, Naja M, Maheswar G, Srivastava AK (2014) Science at high-altitude sites of ARIES – astrophysics and atmospheric sciences. Proc Indian Nat Sci Acad 80:759–790
Sagar R, Stalin CS, Pandey AK, Uddin W, Mohan V, Sanwal BB, Gupta SK, Yadav RKS, Durgapal AK, Joshi S, Kumar B, Gupta AC, Joshi YC, Srivastava JB, Chaubey US, Singh M, Pant P, Gupta KG (2000) Evaluation of Devasthal site for optical astronomical observations. Astron Astrophys Suppl 144:349–362
Sagar R, Omar A, Kumar B, Maheswar G, Pandey SB, Bangia T, Pant J, Shukla V, Yadava S (2011) The new 130-cm optical telescope at Devasthal, Nainital. Curr Sci 101:1020–1023
Sagar R, Kumar B, Omar A, Pandey AK (2012) New optical telescope projects at Devasthal observatory in ground-based and airborne telescopes IV. Proc SPIE 8444T1–12/doi:10.1117/12.925634
Sagar R, Kumar B, Omar A, Joshi YC (2011) New optical telescope projects at Devasthal observatory: 1.3-m installed and 3.6-m upcoming. In recent advances in observational and theoretical studies of star formation. ASI Conf Ser 4:173–180
Sagar R (2007) A modern 3.6 meter new technology optical telescope as a major national initiative in astrophysics. Natl Acad Sci Lett 30:209–212
Poels J, Borra E, Hickson P, Sagar R, Bartczak P, Delchambre L, Finet F, Habraken S, Swings JP, Surdej J (2012) The international liquid mirror telescope (ILMT) as a variability time Machine, New Horizons in time-domain astronomy, proceedings IAU symposium No. 285: 394–396
Ellerbroek BL (2013) A status report on the thirty meter telescope adaptive optics program. J Astrophys Astron 34:121–139
Sagar R, Richtler T (1991) Mass functions of five young large magellanic cloud star clusters. Astron Astrophys 250:324–339
Tarenghi M, Wilson RN (1989) The ESO NTT (New Technology Telescope): The First Active Optics Telescope. Proc SPIE 1114, Active Telescope Systems, 302–313 doi:10.1117/12.960835
Wilson RN (1989) First Light NTT Messenger 56:1–5
Flebus C, Gabriel E, Lambotte S, Ninane N, Pi’erard M, Rausin F, Schumacher JM (2008) Opto-mechanical design of the 3.6 m optical telescope for ARIES in ground-based and airborne telescopes II, Proc SPIE, vol 7012, article id. 70120A, doi:10.1117/12.787888
Ninane N, Flebus C, and Kumar B (2012) The 3.6 m Indo-Belgian Devasthal Optical Telescope: general description in Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV, Proc SPIE, vol 8444, article id. 84441 V. doi:10.1117/12.925921
Pierard M, Flebus C, Ninane N (2012) The 3.6 m Indo-Belgian Devasthal Optical Telescope: the active M1 mirror support in Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV, Proc SPIE, vol 8444, article id. 84444 V. doi:10.1117/12.925946
de Ville J, Bastin C, Pierard M (2012) The 3.6 m Indo-Belgian Devasthal Optical Telescope: the hydrostatic azimuth bearing in Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV, Proc SPIE, vol 8444, article id. 84443Z, doi:10.1117/12.925943
Gabriel E, Bastin C, Pierard M (2012) The 3.6 m Indo-Belgian Devasthal Optical Telescope: the control system in Software and Cyber infrastructure for Astronomy II, Proc SPIE, vol 8451 article id. 845128. doi:10.1117/12.925960
Ninane N, Bastin C, de Ville J, Michel F J, Pierard M, Gabriel G, Flebus C, Omar A (2012) The 3.6 m Indo-Belgian Devasthal Optical Telescope: assembly, integration and tests at AMOS in Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV, Proc SPIE, vol 8444, article id. 84442U, doi:10.1117/12.925927
Semenov A (2012) Accomplished the task of production of primary and secondary mirrorsof DOT telescopeunder the project ARIES (India, Belgium, Russia): Fabrication features in Modern Technologies in Space and Ground-based Telescopes and Instrumentation II, Proc SPIE, vol 8450, article id. 84504R, doi:10.1117/12.924645
Spyromilio J, Cameron F, D’OdoricoS Kissler-Patig M, Gilmozzi R (2008) Progress on the European Extremely Large Telescope. Messenger 133:2–8
McPherson A, Gilmozzi R, Spyromilio J, Kissler-Patig M, Ramsay S (2012) Recent progress towards the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Messenger 148:2–8
Acknowledgments
Author thanks the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) for an award of NASI-Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee Fellowship and the Directors of both Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and ARIES, Nainital for providing the necessary support. This article is mainly based on the invited talk delivered by the author during the 83rd Annual session and Symposium on Space for human welfare meeting of NASI held at Goa University, Goa in 2013.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sagar, R. A Global Prospective of the Indian Optical and Near-Infrared Observational Facilities in the Field of Astronomy and Astrophysics: A Review. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. A Phys. Sci. 87, 1–10 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40010-016-0287-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40010-016-0287-8