Like other observatories, the ILMT is situated high above sea level to lessen the distortion caused by atmospheric water vapor (a phenomenon referred to as atmospheric refraction). Just like the ESOs Paranal Observatory in northern Chile or the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii, the ILMT telescope becomes part of the Devasthal Observatory located in the remote mountains of Uttarakhand province in Northern India (west of Nepal). The telescope is created to survey the sky and recognize things like supernovae, gravitational lenses, area particles, asteroids, and other transient and variable phenomena.
Ask any astronomer, astrophysicist, or cosmologist, and theyll probably inform you that a brand-new age of astronomy is upon us! In between advancements in gravitational-wave astronomy, the surge in exoplanet studies, and the next-generation ground-based and space-based telescopes coming online, its quite obvious that we are on the edge of an era of near-continuous discovery! As constantly, major discoveries, innovations, and the important things they make it possible for motivate researchers and researchers to look ahead and take the next huge action.
Take, for instance, the research study into liquid mirrors and advanced interferometers, which would depend on completely new kinds of telescopes and light-gathering to advance the science of astronomy. A pioneering example is the newly-commissioned International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) telescope that simply came online at Devasthal Peak, a 2,450 m (8,040 ft) tall mountain located in the main Himalayan range. Unlike standard telescopes, the ILMT counts on a rapidly-rotating 4-meter (13 ft) mirror covered with a layer of mercury to record cosmic light.
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An image of the ILMT mirror taken throughout testing at Lie?ge in Belgium. Credit: ILMT Collaboration/University of Liege
Dr. Paul Hickson, a UBC Physics and Astronomy Professor and a liquid mirror innovation pioneer, has actually been perfecting the innovation over the years at the Large Zenith Telescope (LZT). Found at UBCs Malcolm Knapp Research Forest east of Vancouver, B.C., the LZT was the largest liquid-metal mirror before the ILMT was commissioned. Dr. Hickson and his coworkers played a pivotal role in creating and developing the ILMT air system because of their competence. The center gathered its first light this past May and will momentarily stop operations in October due to Indias monsoon season.
While it might sound like something out of sci-fi, the fundamentals of this technology are quite basic. The technology comes down to three components, including a dish including a showing liquid (like mercury), a rotating area the Liquid Mirror (LM) sits atop (powered by air compressors), and a drive system. When powered up, the LM takes benefit of the reality that the rotational force causes the mirror to handle a parabolic shape, which is ideal for focusing light. The liquid mercury is protected by an extremely thin layer of optical-quality mylar that avoids small waves from forming (due to wind or the rotation).
Liquid mercury provides a low-cost alternative to glass mirrors, which are extremely heavy and pricey to produce. The reflected light goes through a sophisticated multi-lens optical corrector while a large-format electronic camera at the focus records the images. As Dr. Hockson explained in a UBC Science press release:
” Rotating as soon as every eight seconds, the mirror drifts on a film of compressed air about 10 microns thick. “The electronic camera has a corrector lens that was specifically created to get rid of star path curvature. If you take a time direct exposure, the stars do not go in straight lines, they go in circles or arcs.
The 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope in the evening. Credit: ARIES
These sources will then be chosen for follow-up observations using the 3.6-meter (11.8 feet) Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) and its advanced spectroscopic instruments. As part of a center managed by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)– which includes the ILMT and the ancient Devesthal Temple– the DOT has the distinction of being the biggest optical telescope in India.
In specific, the ILMT will browse for huge phenomena that are at the leading edge of astronomical research study today. This includes variable things, stars that differ in brightness over time due to modifications in their physical properties, or objects blocking them (worlds, dust rings, and so on). Transient phenomena, on the other hand, refer to brief events such as supernovae, Fast-Radio Burts (FRBs), gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), gravitational microlensing, and so on. The research study of these things will result in breakthroughs in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology.
In addition to ARIES and UBC, other companies that comprise the ILMT partnership consist of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute (part of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences), the University of Lie?ge, the Royal Observatory of Belgium, Poznan Observatory in Poland, Laval University, the University of Montreal, the University of Toronto, York University, and the University of Victoria in Canada.
Further Reading: UBC
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Much like the ESOs Paranal Observatory in northern Chile or the Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii, the ILMT telescope is part of the Devasthal Observatory located in the remote mountains of Uttarakhand province in Northern India (west of Nepal). As part of a center managed by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)– which includes the ILMT and the ancient Devesthal Temple– the DOT has the difference of being the biggest optical telescope in India.
Take, for example, the research into liquid mirrors and advanced interferometers, which would rely on completely brand-new types of telescopes and light-gathering to advance the science of astronomy. A pioneering example is the newly-commissioned International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) telescope that just came online at Devasthal Peak, a 2,450 m (8,040 ft) high mountain situated in the main Himalayan variety. Unlike traditional telescopes, the ILMT relies on a rapidly-rotating 4-meter (13 ft) mirror covered with a layer of mercury to capture cosmic light.
