Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope

The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope is a radio interferometer in Maharashtra made up of 30 parabolic dishes arranged in a Y-shaped pattern. The dishes are spread across a wide area and work together to receive faint radio signals from space.

The facility was developed and built between 1984 and 1996 under Govind Swarup's leadership at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics. It grew out of India's push to advance radio astronomy research and establish independent scientific capabilities.

Students and researchers visit the facility to watch scientists at work and learn how radio astronomy operates in practice. The site serves as a window into how India contributes to global space exploration and discovery.

The telescope receives radio signals across frequencies from 100 MHz to 1,500 MHz, allowing it to observe many types of cosmic objects. Visitors should know that the site is located in a remote area and it is worth checking access and timing details before planning a visit.

The telescope has observed radio galaxies at extreme distances whose signals traveled for billions of years to reach Earth. These distant observations help scientists understand what the early universe looked like and how galaxies developed over cosmic time.