2026-01-09 Fri

The Ooty Radio telescope (ORT), located in Muthorai near Ooty, Tamil Nadu, stands as one of the largest telescopes globally. It operates under the auspices of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), which receives funding from the Government of India through the Department of Atomic Energy. The ORT has positioned India prominently on the global radio astronomy map and has emerged as a significant center for radio astronomical research.

The conception, design, fabrication, and resources for this remarkable facility are entirely INDIGENOUS. The ORT features a cylindrical parabolic antenna measuring 530 meters (1,740 feet) in length and 30 meters (98 feet) in width. It operates at a frequency of 326.5 MHz, with a maximum bandwidth of 15 MHz at the front end. Completed in 1970, the telescope has facilitated critical discoveries and advancements in understanding various phenomena within our solar system and beyond.

The Construction of the ORT can be attributed to Govind Swarup, a trailblazer in the development of innovative and powerful observational facilities in radio astronomy. In 1963, after nearly a decade of collaboration with leading radio astronomers abroad, he returned to India and joined TIFR in #Mumbai. He established the Kalyan Radio Telescope in 1964–1965 using 32 small dishes sourced from #Australia before embarking on the construction of the ORT.

Swarup encountered numerous challenges throughout the construction process, the first of which was identifying a suitable site for the telescope. In early 1965, following an extensive site survey, a location was determined on a hill near Ooty, situated at an altitude of approximately 2,100 meters in the Nilgiri Hills. In late 1965, the construction of the ORT received approval from Homi Bhabha, although this approval came shortly before his passing in an air crash in Switzerland.

The challenges in construction were numerous and formidable. However, by early 1970, the new telescope was ready. In proximity to the telescope, Swarup established the Radio Astronomy Centre, where a dedicated team of astronomers and engineers conducted groundbreaking research throughout the 1970s. The ORT has facilitated noteworthy findings related to radio galaxies, quasars, supernovae, and pulsars. The data generated has significantly contributed to observational cosmology, providing independent evidence against the steady state theory and supporting the Big Bang model of the universe. Additionally, the groundwork laid by the ORT was instrumental in the establishment of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune, which is even larger in scale.

Recognizing its contributions, the ORT was honored with a commemorative postage stamp issued by India Post on 23 March 1982, as part of the festival of India held in London. This stamp highlights the importance of this Indian radio astronomy facility on the international stage and underscores its vital role in advancing the field of radio astronomy.