Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT)

India’s first liquid-mirror telescope, which will observe asteroids, supernovae, space debris and all other celestial objects has seen its first light.
Established on the campus of the Devasthal Observatory of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital, the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is the only liquid-mirror telescope operational in the world. It will also hold the unique tag of being the maiden liquid-telescope globally to be designed exclusively for astronomical purposes.

Unlike the conventional telescopes that can be steered to track specific stellar source objects, the ILMT will be stationary. It will basically carry out observations and imaging at the zenith, that is, of the overhead sky.
A liquid mirror telescope, as the name implies, has a liquid as its primary mirror rather than aluminized glass. A revolving dish holds the liquid, which is generally mercury.
Gravity and inertia are two main forces that act on the mercury as a result of the rotation.
- The liquid surface is pulled down by gravity, while inertia pushes the liquid sideways at the dish’s edge.
As a result, the liquid creates a flawless and uniform parabola, which is excellent for a telescope’s reflecting surface.
This shape helps concentrate the reflected light since mercury is reflective.
Best of all, the liquid mirror surface requires little to no upkeep to remain smooth and beautiful.
Gravity and inertia will operate on the liquid to restore it to its former state if it is disturbed.
The telescope will acquire terabytes of data once it begins making observations, which will need to be analysed using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI and ML) capabilities.
The telescope will allow for sky surveys and the acquisition of pictures that will aid in the observation of transitory events.

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