Page 42 - CTB-1 10 May
P. 42
42 PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE
Indian Institute of Astrophysics
Above: A photograph of 1822 experiment of Goldingham Swinging in Kater’s Pendulum hung in front of Haswell’s Clock in Madras Observatory
Below: Milky-way in the backdrop of an array of HAGAR telescopes at IAO-Hanle, Ladakh
With a rich history of over 220 years, Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) is the country's premier research institution devoted
to basic research, instrumentation, and training in astronomy and astrophysics and related physical sciences. Prof. MK Vainu Bappu (1960-1982) was the Founder Director of IIA and the last director of Kodaikanal Observatory. Prof. Vainu Bappu created facilities
for optical telescopes in Kavalur, Tamil
Nadu, and the first observation was made in 1968, using a 38cm reflector, made in-house in Kodaikanal. A 1m Carl Zeiss Optical Telescope was set up in 1972, along with many other small
telescopes. Bappu's dream was fulfilled when an indigenous 2.34m reflector was commissioned at Kavalur in 1986. IIA started operating a
radio observatory with the Raman Research Institute in Gauribidanur near Bangalore
(now Bengaluru).
RESEARCH FACILITIES
With a mandate to establish, operate and maintain astrophysical observatories,
and with self-developed human resources, expertise in telescope engineering and
astronomical instrumentation, IIA has been
able to build, operate and maintain/modernize its facilities in various field stations, located across the country, including:
