The new 130-cm optical telescope at Devasthal, Nainital

Abstract

A modern Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain 130-cm diameter optical telescope has been successfully installed at Devasthal, Nainital in the central Himalayan region. This location was chosen after carrying out extensive site surveys. The first images obtained with the telescope indicate that atmospheric seeing and sky darkness at Devasthal are nearly at values as measured during the site survey. The values of seeing and sky darkness are comparable to some of the best astronomical sites in the world. The 130-cm telescope is functional and observations can be carried out from the control centre at Devasthal or from the Manora Peak in Nainital. This telescope has started providing valuable data for a number of research projects and is expected to help meet part of the national requirement in optical observational astronomy from small-aperture ground-based telescopes.