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India offers Leh for international gamma-ray telescope
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September 22, 2008 21:49 IST
India plans to offer an astronomical site at Hanle in Leh for an international collaboration which is exploring the possibility of setting up two large gamma-ray telescope arrays in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, a senior astronomer said.
 
The international collaboration is planning a Cherenkov Telescope Array in both the hemispheres to enhance the understanding of the high-energy universe, Prof Ramesh Koul, Head, Astrophysical Sciences Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said.
 
They are expected to be operational by 2018 enabling a 24x7 observation of the universe, Koul said at a public lecture series 'Vistas in Astronomy' at the Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai.
 
In keeping with global efforts, the Himalayan Gamma-ray Observatory (HiGRO) is being set up jointly by scientists of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at the high altitude (4,200 m above sea level) astronomical site at Hanle.
 
This observatory will deploy a wave-front sampling telescope array which is presently at an advanced stage of commissioning and the large area MACE (Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment) telescope.
 

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