India’s first liquid-mirror telescope, which will observe asteroids, supernovae, space debris and all other celestial objects from an altitude of 2,450 metres in the Himalayas, has seen its first light. It has now entered the commissioning phase and will start scientific observations sometime in October this year.

The International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is the only liquid-mirror telescope in operation anywhere in the world, and it is located on the site of the Devasthal Observatory of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital.

To collect and focus light, the innovative gadget uses a 4-meter-diameter rotating mirror comprised of a thin sheet of liquid mercury.

The researchers spun a pool of mercury, a reflective liquid, in such a way that the surface curled into a parabolic form. It's perfect for concentrating light.

The mercury is shielded from the wind by a thin mylar layer.

The reflected light is processed by a multi-lens optical corrector, which creates sharp images across a wide field of vision. The photos are captured using a large-format electronic camera mounted at the focus.

The earth's rotation causes the images to drift across the frame, but the camera compensates for this motion electrically. This mode of operation improves the telescope's observation efficiency and makes it more sensitive to faint and hazy objects.

Astronomers from India, Belgium, and Canada are working on the ILMT.

The Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems Corporation and the Centre Spatial de Liege, both in Belgium, designed and built the telescope.

Canada and Belgium contributed the majority of the instrumentation money, while India will be in charge of the telescope's operations and maintenance.

The Indian Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) will aid in the surveying of the sky, allowing for the observation of multiple galaxies and other celestial sources.

From an altitude of 2,450 metres in the Himalayas, it will observe asteroids, supernovae, space debris, and all other celestial objects.

Source: Indian Express