Udaipur Solar Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) is in Udaipur
, Rajasthan
in India
on an island in the Fateh Sagar Lake
. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. Since the observatory is situated amidst a large mass of water, air turbulence which occurs due to ground heating by sun's rays is decreased. This improves the image quality and accuracy (average between 1-2 arc seconds).
following the model of the Solar Observatory at Big Bear lake in Southern California. Later, he was joined by Dr. Ashok Ambastha in 1983 and subsequently by others who have contributed to its development.
chromospheric, magnetic field
, velocity
, and spectral observations, for studies pertaining to solar flare
s, mass ejections, and the evolution of solar active regions. USO fills the large longitudinal gap between Australia and Spain, and provides a link for continuous solar coverage in international collaborative programs, including the Global Oscillations Network Group
(GONG). Since 1981, USO has been managed by the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, for the Department of Space, Government of India.
The city of Udaipur was planned around a set of man-made lakes created from rain water. However with population pressure and with poor rainfall, the water in these lakes has been steadily dwindling. In 1975, Fathesagar flooded its adjoining neighborhoods; In 2003, it was completely dry, and one could walk to the USO (see photo). As of 2006, the lake is full again and you need to take a boat to go to the observatory. With particularly good rains in 2010, the observatory is again surrounded by water and taking a boat is the only option left.
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on an island in the Fateh Sagar Lake
Fateh Sagar Lake
Fatah Sagar Lake is situated in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Said to be the pride of the City of Lakes of Udaipur, it is an artificial lake constructed by Maharana in north of Lake Pichola in 1678 and to the north-west of Udaipur....
. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. Since the observatory is situated amidst a large mass of water, air turbulence which occurs due to ground heating by sun's rays is decreased. This improves the image quality and accuracy (average between 1-2 arc seconds).
History
The observatory was built in the year 1976 by Dr. Arvind BhatnagarArvind Bhatnagar
Arvind Bhatnagar made significant contributions to Solar Astronomy, and founded several planetaria across India. He was the founder-director of the Udaipur Solar Observatory, and the founder director of Nehru Planetarium of Bombay..-Publications:...
following the model of the Solar Observatory at Big Bear lake in Southern California. Later, he was joined by Dr. Ashok Ambastha in 1983 and subsequently by others who have contributed to its development.
Telescopes
Utilizing a variety of telescopes, USO is known for its solar observations, which include high-resolution solarSun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
chromospheric, magnetic field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
, velocity
Velocity
In physics, velocity is speed in a given direction. Speed describes only how fast an object is moving, whereas velocity gives both the speed and direction of the object's motion. To have a constant velocity, an object must have a constant speed and motion in a constant direction. Constant ...
, and spectral observations, for studies pertaining to solar flare
Solar flare
A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 1025 joules of energy . The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day...
s, mass ejections, and the evolution of solar active regions. USO fills the large longitudinal gap between Australia and Spain, and provides a link for continuous solar coverage in international collaborative programs, including the Global Oscillations Network Group
Global Oscillations Network Group
The Global Oscillation Network Group is a community-based program to study solar internal structure and dynamics using helioseismology.Six solar observatories are involved, with the intention of achieving almost unbroken observation of the Sun...
(GONG). Since 1981, USO has been managed by the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, for the Department of Space, Government of India.
The city of Udaipur was planned around a set of man-made lakes created from rain water. However with population pressure and with poor rainfall, the water in these lakes has been steadily dwindling. In 1975, Fathesagar flooded its adjoining neighborhoods; In 2003, it was completely dry, and one could walk to the USO (see photo). As of 2006, the lake is full again and you need to take a boat to go to the observatory. With particularly good rains in 2010, the observatory is again surrounded by water and taking a boat is the only option left.