Asia’s biggest
telescope Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST) was inaugurated recently at
the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) in Rajasthan by Professor U.R Rao, Chairman
of Physical Research Laboratory. It has been developed to study the sun .MAST
was designed in 2004, had optical elements added to it till 2008 and was
installed at the Udaipur Solar Observatory in 2012. It was tested by USO for
onsite acceptance. Test results accumulated over a year was examined by a
committee of experts and telescope was made operationalised on June 16, 2015.
PROJECT OF:
This is a project under
Ministry of Science and Technology funded by Department of Space (DoS) and will
be monitored by Ahmedabad based Physical Research Laboratory(PRL) .PRL is a
premier research institute engaged in basic research in the areas of Astronomy
and Astrophysics , Atmospheric Sciences, Geosciences and Theoretical Physics.
Apart from the main campus at Ahmedabad, there are two other campuses at Mt. Abu
and Udaipur, hosting the Infrared Telescope and a Multi-Application-Solar
Telescope (MAST) respectively.
RESEARCH AREA:
To provide 3-D images
of solar activities like solar blast and solar flares for understanding various
dynamic phenomenon occurring on the surface of the sun and possibly help in
vital studies about other planetary movements.
STRUCTURAL FEATURES:
1) MAST has a lens of
50 cm in diameter, built by Mechanical and Optical Systems (AMOS) of Belgium.
2) The rear part of
MAST has been developed by the observatory while its front part was developed
by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
3) It has a collapsible
dome made of tensile fabric.
WHY ON AN ISLAND IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE LAKE FATEHSAGAR?
1) The sky conditions
at Udaipur are quite favorable for solar observations.
2) The large water body
surrounding the telescopes decreases the amount of heating of the surface
layers which decreases the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improves the
image quality and seeing.
3) Udaipur boast of
more than 250 days of continuous sunshine, which allows to observe the sun
properly during day time.
Author: Palak Tiwari, a freelancer writer based in Bhopal
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