India’s First Liquid-Mirror Telescope

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

India’s first liquid-mirror telescope- International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) has now entered the commissioning phase and will start scientific observations some time in October this year.

About the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT):

It is located at an altitude of 2,450 metres on the Devasthal Observatory campus of the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital district, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

• It is the only liquid-mirror telescope operational anywhere in the world.
• It will also hold the unique tag of being the maiden liquid-telescope globally to be designed exclusively for astronomical purposes.
• This international telescope facility is the result of collaborative work between astronomers from Canada, Belgium and India.

Features of the Telescope:

• Unlike the conventional telescopes that can be steered to track specific stellar source objects, the ILMT will be stationary.
• It will basically carry out observations and imaging at the zenith, that is, of the overhead sky.
• This is a survey telescope having high potential for discovering newer objects.