World’s largest solar telescope to be set up in Ladakh
January 7th, 2012 - 4:20 pm ICT by IANSJammu, Jan 7 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir government has assured all help and co-operation to the union Department of Science and Technology in its endeavour to set up a solar telescope, said to be the world’s largest, at Merak on Pangong Tso lake in the cold desert Ladakh region.
The official statement quoting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Madhav Lal said: “The state government will extend full cooperation to the Department of Science and Technology of Government of India (GOI). The facility will also provide employment opportunities to the local population in the area.”
Chairing a meeting here to discuss the modalities for setting up the National Large Solar Telescope (NLST), the chief secretary called for following strategies to ensure that the “construction, as well as operational phases of the project can be undertaken with minimal disturbance to the local flora and fauna”.
Professor Tushar P. Prabhu from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics of the Department of Science and Technology, said the site was selected after carefully studying various scientific and environmental aspects. It emerged from the studies that Pangong Tso lake site at Merak was “very promising and offered longer sunshine hours”.
He said, “The site, selected for setting up the of world’s largest solar telescope fitted with a 2m reflector will permit scientists to carry out cutting edge research to understand the fundamental processes taking place on the sun.”
The solar telescope will help the scientific community to study the long-term changes in the earth’s climate and environment and also provide useful data to carry out research in order to minimize or remove disruptions to communications network and satellites due to periodic solar winds.
Pangong Tso lake is situated at a height of 14,270 feet above sea level. It is 134 km long and five km wide at the broadest point.
- India to build world's largest solar telescope - Sep 02, 2010
- Tagged birds return to Pong wetlands from China - Dec 27, 2011
- Solar and wind energy to light up remote Kashmir areas - Dec 26, 2011
- China installs largest optical telescope in Antarctica - Apr 19, 2012
- Solar lighting for police stations in Kashmir - Feb 02, 2012
- India to double expenditure on science research - Apr 26, 2011
- Now, a magazine for adventure tourism buffs - May 18, 2012
- Areva joins Reliance to set up solar power plant - Apr 13, 2012
- Chile's Atacama desert to be simulator for Mars mission - Dec 27, 2010
- Report enlists top priority research activities for astronomy and astrophysics - Aug 14, 2010
- Now zoom into universe through Windows - Sep 03, 2010
- India-Africa ministerial meet on science starts Thursday - Feb 29, 2012
- Indian travellers are spoilt for choice - May 26, 2011
- Hyderabad's Birla observatory to open for public - Nov 15, 2011
- India, Turkmenistan ink pacts on education, science and technology - May 26, 2010
Tags: chairing a meeting, chief secretary, cold desert, cutting edge research, department of science and technology, feet above sea level, flora and fauna, full cooperation, fundamental processes, government of india, indian institute of astrophysics, jammu and kashmir, jammu and kashmir government, local flora and fauna, minimal disturbance, pangong tso, solar telescope, solar winds, sunshine hours, tso lake