The recent initiation of the International Liquid-Mirror Telescope (ILMT) by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) at its Devasthal Observatory campus in Nainital, Uttarakhand has piqued interest. Being the world’s first operational Liquid-Mirror Telescope (LMT) for astrological studies, ILMT holds a unique stance in observing space debris, asteroids, supernovae, and other celestial objects.
Key Highlights about ILMT
Stepping up as the third telescope facility at Devasthal, ILMT joins the list next to the existing Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), and the Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT). Full-scale scientific operations of ILMT are set to commence in October 2022, working in tandem with DOT, India’s largest operating optical telescope. The involvement of several countries like India, Belgium, Canada, Poland, and Uzbekistan marks an international effort in ILMT’s development.
Differences between LMT and Conventional Telescopes
A distinguishing factor between LMT and conventional telescopes is their tracking method. A conventional telescope moves in sync with the object it tracks in the sky, whereas an LMT remains stationary and captures any celestial objects coming into its sight. This includes stars, galaxies, supernovae explosions, asteroids, and even space debris.
Also, the construction of these telescopes is different. An LMT is made with mirrors that use a reflective liquid, in this case, mercury is used for ILMT. Meanwhile, conventional telescopes employ highly-polished glass mirrors.
Operating through all nights, ILMT significantly differs from conventional telescopes that observe specific objects at fixed hours.
The Significance of ILMT
The main benefit of ILMT rests on the voluminous data it generates – around 10-15 GB per night. This data is a valuable resource to global scientific communities. Advanced computational tools such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and big data analytics will be employed for screening, processing, and analyzing the data collected.
Thereafter, the selected data can serve as foundational information for conducting more focused research. The studies would use spectrographs and near-Infrared spectrograph mounted on the in-house DOT.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Question
As a previous year’s question about ‘IceCube’, a particle detector located at South Pole in 2015, in context to modern scientific research:
Regarding the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, it features as the world’s largest neutrino detector, comprises a cubic kilometer of ice, acts as a powerful telescope for dark matter search, and is buried deep in ice. The correct answer for the above was option (d).
Funding for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory primarily came from the National Science Foundation, a US agency supporting fundamental research, along with partner funding agencies around the world.