News Highlights
The four meter International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) saw the first light recently, gazing out from its vantage on Devasthal, a hill in Uttarakhand, into the deep sky
International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT)
- Location – Devasthal Observatory site of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital, Uttarakhand at a height of 2,450 metres.
- Who Built ? – A team of scientists from Canada, Belgium, and India worked together to build the telescope.
- Aim -Sky surveys will be feasible with the telescope pointed at the sky above, and images will be obtained that will aid in the observation of fleeting occurrences such as supernovae and the recording of the presence of space debris or meteorites.
- Features
- A big pool of mercury is spun around so quickly in a tank that it curves into a parabolic shape. This shape helps focus the reflected light because mercury is reflective. The mercury is shielded from the wind by a thin layer of mylar.
- The telescope’s initial photograph was of many stars and a galaxy called NGC 4274, which is 45 million light years away.
- Because the primary mirror of the telescope is liquid, it cannot be turned or aimed in any direction. As the earth revolves, it “stares” at the zenith and monitors the sky, affording a view of many objects.
Pic Courtesy : The Hindu
Content Source : Indian Express