25 years of the Himalayan Chandra Telescope at Hanle, Ladakh celebrated
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics marked 25 years of the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope at Hanle, Ladakh, with a three-day conference including a special session on 28 July 2026.
Summary
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institution of DST, celebrated 25 years of operation of the 2-metre Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) at Hanle, Ladakh, with a three-day science meeting; a special session on 28 July 2026 summarised its achievements and felicitated those who built the observatory. The HCT stands on Digpa Ratsa Ri at 4,517 m and has been operated remotely in real time from IIA's Hosakote campus near Bengaluru since June 2001 via a dedicated INSAT-3B satellite link. It saw first light on 26 September 2000, was dedicated to the nation in August 2001 and is named after Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. DST Secretary Umesh Waghmare referred to the upgraded HCT announced in the budget.
Key facts
- Telescope
- Himalayan Chandra Telescope (2 m), Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle
- Location
- Digpa Ratsa Ri, Hanle, Ladakh – 4,517 m
- Operated by
- Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), DST
- Remote operation
- From Hosakote (Bengaluru) via INSAT-3B link since June 2001
- First light
- 26 September 2000; dedicated August 2001
- Named after
- Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The Himalayan Chandra Telescope, which completed 25 years of operation in 2026, is located at:
Show answer
Correct answer: B — Hanle, Ladakh
The 2-m HCT stands on Digpa Ratsa Ri at Hanle, Ladakh, at 4,517 m above sea level.
Consider the following statements about the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT): 1. It is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. 2. It has been operated remotely from Hosakote near Bengaluru through an INSAT-3B satellite link. 3. It is named after C.V. Raman. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
IIA operates the HCT remotely from its Hosakote campus via a dedicated INSAT-3B link since June 2001. It is named after Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, not C.V. Raman.