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Fig.1 Indian Institute of Astrophysics Observatory in Kodaikanal

In 1972, Mr Hunter from a Canadian firm, M/s The project involved complex design and manufacture
Dilworth Secord, Meagher & Associates visited Babu in civil works, mechanical engineering, electronics and
at Kodaikanal with Mr Jagannathan of Tata Consulting computer science, and advanced technologies like
Engineers. They assured him of their help in designing optics, hydraulics and cryogenics.
and indigenising an optical telescope if such a project
was undertaken. In 1973, Babu sent a proposal to TCE completed this complex project in 1984. Vainu
the government of India and got the approval from Babu initiated the 2.3-metre (93-inch) aperture
the governing council with the condition that only telescope designed and built within the country but
the mirror block (2.5 M dia, 500mm thick weighing 4 did not live to see its completion as he passed away in
tonnes) would be imported from Germany. Rest of the 1982. On 6 January 1986, the observatory was renamed
work like grinding of the block to parabolic concave Vainu Babu Observatory and the 2.3-metre telescope
mirror, design and construction of telescope mount, as Vainu Babu Telescope. The telescope is so powerful
movement and control would all be carried out locally. that it can effortlessly spot a 25 paise coin kept forty
kilometres away.
The governing council also declared that the new
facility would be a national facility for all Indian The telescope is used for deep-sky observations using
astronomers. M/s Tata, Dilworth Secord, Meagher and a variety of focal plane instruments. The equatorially
Associates who worked on the feasibility report were mounted horse-shoe-yoke structure of the telescope
awarded the design contract. is ideal for low latitudes and permits easy observation
near the north celestial pole. The telescope has an F/3.25
Babu was involved in the herculean task of managing paraboloid primary of 2.3 m diameter with the prime
the project’s technical aspects while convincing focus image scale of 27 arcsec/mm and a Cassegrain
the financial authorities about the advantages of focus image scale of 6.7 arcsec/mm. Even today the
embarking upon this venture. He convinced a leading observatory attracts proposals from all over the country
group of scientists about the project’s benefits, which and sometimes from outside India and has helped Indian
helped him secure the financial assurance. astronomers carry out several path-breaking research.

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