📷 Image Credits: India Today
Indian scientists have made significant strides in advancing the upcoming Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) by developing a new online tool that promises to revolutionize ground-based astronomy. The TMT, along with other major telescopes like the Giant Magellan Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope, represents the future of astronomical observation.
The new tool created by researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) is designed to create a comprehensive catalogue of Near Infrared (NIR) stars, crucial for the efficiency of the TMT’s Adaptive Optics (AO) system. Ground-based telescopes face challenges from atmospheric distortion impacting image quality, and the TMT’s AO system, known as the Narrow Field Infrared Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS), aims to mitigate these distortions.
Dr. Sarang Shah from IIA emphasized that the NFIRAOS system will utilize a Laser Guide Star (LGS) facility to project lasers into the sky, creating artificial guide stars. However, the system requires feedback from real stars, called Natural Guide Stars (NGS), to correct atmospheric effects. The newly developed automated code by Indian researchers can accurately compute the near-infrared magnitudes of stellar sources identified in various optical sky surveys, filling a crucial gap in existing star catalogues.
Dr. Smitha Subramanian, co-author and faculty at IIA, highlighted the method’s validation using data from the UKIDSS survey, achieving more than 85% accuracy in predicting NIR magnitudes. This breakthrough paves the way for comprehensive NIR star catalogues, essential for the TMT’s success.
India’s participation in the TMT project through institutions like IIA, the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), and the Aryabhatta Research Institute for Observational Sciences (ARIES) underscores the country’s commitment to advancing astronomical research. The India TMT Center at IIA is spearheading the national collaboration, positioning India as a key partner in the TMT initiative.
The development of this new tool by Indian scientists not only enhances the TMT’s potential for groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy but also showcases India’s expertise and contribution to cutting-edge scientific endeavors.
