Himalayan Chandra Telescope

Image Description and Details :

The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), located in Hanle near Leh in Ladakh, India, has one of the world's highest sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes. It is currently the tenth highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an elevation of 4,500 meters. Accessing the observatory, located near the Chinese border, requires a six hour drive from Leh, the capital city of Ladakh. The location is deemed to be excellent for visible, infrared and millimeter observations throughout the year due to its low temperatures, humidity, and light pollution. The Himalayan Chandra Telescope is a 2 meter optical-infrared telescope named after Nobel laureate Subramaniam Chandrasekhar. It is a modified Ritchey-Chretien system with a primary mirror made to withstand low temperatures. Imaging instruments include a Faint Object Spectrograph, a near infra-red and an optical CCD camera. The telescope is remotely operated via an INSAT-3B satellite link which allows operation even in sub-zero temperatures in winter.

Camera – Sony A7iii
Lens – Sony 50mm F1.4
Tracker – Fornax LighttrackII
Foreground – F11 30 secs iso 800
Sky – F4 480secs iso 400
Software - PixInsight and Photoshop

Copyright: Vikas Chander