MACE Observatory

About MACE observatory

It is the highest and largest imaging Cherenkov telescope in Asia and the world located at an altitude of almost 4,300 metres.
It is built indigenously by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).

Why Hanle?

Hanle is like heaven for gamma ray astronomers with its dark skies, low humidity and almost no air pollution.
The longitudinal advantage of its location enables MACE to observe sources invisible to other parts of the world.
Hanley Dark Sky Reserve is India’s first dark sky reserve. It is situated in Changthang Plateau (Ladakh). It is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

Observe high-energy gamma rays from some of the most energetic events in the universe, such as: Supernovae, Black Holes gamma-Ray Bursts.
Detect and understand dark matter,
Complement existing observatories worldwide, strengthening India’s role in multi-messenger astronomy.

Related Terms

Gamma Rays: Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, similar to visible light but with much higher energy. They help scientists understand extreme phenomena in the universe, like supernovae (exploding stars) and black holes.
- They are produced from black holes, pulsars, supernovae and gamma-ray bursts.
Cherenkov Radiation: It refers to the light produced when charged particles move faster than the speed of light in a medium (like air).
High-Energy Range (20 – 100 GeV): Giga-electron volt (GeV) is a unit of energy used in particle physics. One GeV equals one billion electron volts.
Astrophysics: Branch of astronomy that deals with the physical properties and behaviour of celestial bodies.
Multi-Messenger Astronomy: It is an approach that combines information from different types of astronomical signals (like light, gravitational waves, and neutrinos) to get a fuller picture of cosmic events.