Udaipur Solar Observatory is considered as the best
solar observing site in Asia. Situated on an island in the Fateh Sagar
Lake, Solar Observatory of Udaipur is among the few in the world that
are sited on an island. This observatory was designed as per the model
of Solar Observatory at Big Bear Lake in Southern California. In 1975,
Udaipur Solar Observatory was established by Dr. Arvind Bhatnagar under
the Vedhashala Trust of Ahmedabad. The organization is basically
affianced in Astrological activities. However, the observatory aspires
to do research in modern science.
Udaipur Solar Observatory has become the perfect center to develop
solar physics in India. Being surrounded by water, the island provides a
favorable atmosphere for solar observations. As air turbulence is lesser
on island then ground, sharp images of the sun can be acquired. Apart
from this, other advantage of this observatory is that it is located in
Rajasthan, which observes maximum number of cloudless days. All these
factors add to quality of extracted images of the Sun.
The observatory comprises a range of telescopes that provide excellent
quality of solar observations. The observatory is adding a new
instrument by the name of 'Solar Vector Magnetograph' to its
store-house. This instrument will play an important role in the future
research program by determining the magnetic field of the active
regions. It has been more than twenty-five years, since USO was
established. The observatory has seen an entire solar cycle in the
twenty-two years of its subsistence. Now, it is witnessing the next
solar cycle.
The huge longitudinal gap between Australia and Spain is plugged by
USO. Udaipur Solar Observatory also provides a connection for regular
solar coverage in numerous International collaborative programs
including GONG (Global Oscillations Network Group). Since 1981, the
observatory has been under the control of the Physical Research
Laboratory (Ahmedabad) for the Department of Space, Government of India.
Under GONG project, USO was numbered among the six observatories of the
world that watch the sun for 24 hours. National Science Foundation of
the United States that intends to study oscillations in the solar
atmosphere has sponsored this project of GONG. Hence, USO is a site of
national and international importance. If you are planning to visit this
observatory, you have to take a boat ride to reach the observatory.
Udaipur Solar Observatory is regarded as the best solar observing site in Asia. Read more about the Solar Observatory in Rajasthan, India.
Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO)
| Location: | On an island of Fateh Sagar Lake |
| Built By: | Dr. Arvind Bhatanagar |
| Built In: | 1975 |