Indian Astronomical Observatory: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Tag: Reverted

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In the late 1980s, a committee chaired by [[B. V. Sreekantan]] recommended that a national, large optical telescope be taken up as a priority project. The search for the site of the observatory was taken up in 1992 under the leadership of [[Arvind Bhatnagar]]. The scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics found the site at Hanle.<ref>Rajan, Mohan Sundara. "Telescopes in India". National Book Trust, India, 2009, p. 132</ref>

The [[First light (astronomy)|first light]] was seen by the Observatory 2-metre telescope on the midnight hour between 26 September and 27 September 2000.<ref name="CurrSci" /> Madras Observatory, set up in 1787, became the first modern astronomical facility outside the Western World. Rev Fenn (An Anglo-Indian Priest) set up one of the earliest astronomical observatories in The Church Missionary Society seminary there in 1821 in Kottayam district of Kerala

The satellite link between the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), Bangalore, and Hanle was inaugurated by the then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister [[Farooq Abdullah]] on 2 June 2001. The Observatory was dedicated to the nation on 29 August 2001.<ref>About IAO, IAO website. http://www.iiap.res.in/iao_about accessed on 20 January 2011.</ref>