08/10/2022 - Science and Technology

KEY POINTS

·        This spot is today the Vainu Bappu Observatory and is run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, and is among India's foremost observatories.

·        Rainclouds absorb starlight and radiation from cosmic objects, preventing them from being caught on the telescopes of cameras.

·        Situated at 14,000 ft above sea level and a little over 250 km southeast of Leh, Hanle is a village of about 320 houses and a population of about 1,500, according to Paljor Therchin, the sarpanch of Hanle.

·        This is a special kind of light from gamma rays, or the most energetic sources of radiation, that can result from dying stars or several galactic events.

·        The seven-telescope contingent, called HAGAR (High Altitude Gamma Ray), also looks at Cherenkov radiation, although at a lower range of energies.

·        The metallic capsule, the highest of the observatories, is the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), the oldest and active since 2000.

·        The desiccated air that helps the telescope catch ephemeral interstellar light translates to sub-zero winters for at least six months of the year.

·        At Hanle, the thinner air and the elevation means starlight is relatively unimpeded until it descends into the lower, more polluted stretches below.

·        Hanle, as it currently stands, is largely shrouded in darkness. Disconnected from the electric grid, solar panels and a diesel generator are the only sources of electricity.

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