Vainu Bappu Observatory, Astronomical observatory in Kavalur, Tamil Nadu, India
The Vainu Bappu Observatory is an astronomical research facility on a hilltop in Tamil Nadu. The site contains several telescope domes of different sizes positioned at roughly 700 meters elevation in the Javadi Hills near Kavalur.
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics from Bangalore opened the site in 1968 after several years of construction. The research station was named after an Indian astrophysicist who played a key role in its planning.
Indian astronomers at this facility contribute to global scientific knowledge through research on stars, galaxies, and celestial phenomena.
The facility opens to visitors at scheduled times and offers guided walks where staff explain the instruments and their function. Reaching the site involves rural roads about two hours from the nearest railway station.
Scientists at the observatory contributed to discovering the rings of Uranus in 1977 when they recorded measurements during a rare stellar occultation. The isolated mountain location shields the instruments from light pollution coming from surrounding towns.
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