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ECIL’s giant telescope to be transported to Ladakh

HYDERABAD: A giant Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) Gamma- ray Telescope is ready to be transported to Hanle, Ladakh from Hyderabad.

The telescope weighing approximately 180 tonnes, has been designed, developed and manufactured by Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad for Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.

MACE has undergone all field trials successfully and is ready to get dispatched to Hanle site in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Similar telescopes set up in Namibia, Europe and US have been realized by collaborative efforts of multiple institutions, whereas, the present MACE Telescope has been designed and realized from conceptual stage to trial assembly stage by ECIL, Hyderabad with technology support from BARC, ECIL informed on Tuesday.

A flagging-off function of the MACE telescope by Dr. R.K. Sinha, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy & Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission has been organized at the Antenna Systems Group, ECIL on June 28.

When fully operational by early 2016, the telescope will enhance understanding in the fields of astrophysics, fundamental physics, article acceleration mechanisms for gamma-ray generation and spectral cut off of Pulsars, ECIL said.

The 21m diameter MACE Telescope being set up at Hanle (32.80 N, 78.90 E, 4200 m above MSL) in the Ladakh region of North India, will be the second largest gamma ray telescope in the world. The largest telescope of the same class is the 28 m diameter HESS telescope operating in Namibia.

Courtesy: The Times Of India

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