Indian Institute of Astrophysics

{{Infobox university

| name = Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore

| image = Indian_Institute_of_Astrophysics_Logo.svg

| established = {{start date and age|1971}}

| director = Annapurni Subramaniam{{cite web|url=https://www.iiap.res.in/about-us/director/ |title=Director's Page | Indian Institute of Astrophysics |publisher=iiap.res.in |date=2024-08-08 |access-date=2024-08-08}}

| city = Bengaluru

| state = Karnataka

| country = India

| campus = Urban

| students =

| undergrad =

| postgrad =

| website = {{url|http://www.iiap.res.in}}

}}

File:Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bangalore.jpg

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), with its headquarters in Bengaluru, is an autonomous research institute wholly funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. IIA conducts research primarily in the areas of astronomy, astrophysics and related fields.

The institute has a network of laboratories and observatories in India, including Kodaikanal (the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory), Kavalur (the Vainu Bappu Observatory), Gauribidanur (the Gauribidanur Radio Observatory), Hanle (the Indian Astronomical Observatory) and Hosakote.

IIA contributed to Astrosat, India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory.{{Cite web|url=https://www.isro.gov.in/update/28-sep-2015/pslv-successfully-launches-indias-multi-wavelength-space-observatory-astrosat|title=PSLV Successfully Launches India's Multi Wavelength Space Observatory ASTROSAT – ISRO|website=isro.gov.in|access-date=2019-03-13|archive-date=5 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005104032/http://www.isro.gov.in/update/28-sep-2015/pslv-successfully-launches-indias-multi-wavelength-space-observatory-astrosat|url-status=dead}} The Astrosat project is a collaborative effort of many different research institutions from India.{{cite journal|last1=Agrawal|first1=P. C.|year=2017|title=AstroSat: From Inception to Realization and Launch|journal=Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy|volume=38|issue=2|pages=27|doi=10.1007/s12036-017-9449-6|issn=0250-6335|bibcode=2017JApA...38...27A|s2cid=125449392}} The institute led the development of Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT).{{Cite journal|last=Agrawal|first=P. C.|date=2017-06-19|title=AstroSat: From Inception to Realization and Launch|journal=Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy|language=en|volume=38|issue=2|pages=27|doi=10.1007/s12036-017-9449-6|issn=0973-7758|bibcode=2017JApA...38...27A|s2cid=125449392}}

Areas of research

Researchers at IIA work on a diverse set of topics related to Astronomy and Astrophysics. However, the research can be broadly classified under the following areas:

Sun & Solar System{{Cite web|url=https://www.iiap.res.in/research/gc-1/|title=Sun and Solar System Research at Indian Institute of Astrophysics|website=www.iiap.res.in|access-date=2024-08-08}}
Stellar Astronomy, Galactic Astronomy & Extragalactic Astronomy{{Cite web|url=https://www.iiap.res.in/research/gc-2/|title=Galactic and Extra galactic Research at Indian Institute of Astrophysics|website=www.iiap.res.in|access-date=2024-08-08}}
Cosmology & Theoretical Astrophysics{{Cite web|url=https://www.iiap.res.in/research/gc-3/|title=Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology Research at Indian Institute of Astrophysics|website=www.iiap.res.in|access-date=2024-08-08}}
Astronomical Instrumentation
Space Astronomy

History

William Petrie (died: 1816), an officer of the East India Company set up private observatory in his residence located in Egmore, Chennai (formerly Madras), India.{{cite book|last1=Hasan|first1=S. S.|title=Magnetic Coupling between the Interior and Atmosphere of the Sun|last2=Mallik|first2=D. C. V.|last3=Bagare|first3=S. P.|last4=Rajaguru|first4=S. P.|year=2010|chapter=Solar Physics at the Kodaikanal Observatory: A Historical Perspective|pages=12–36|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-02859-5_3|issn=1570-6591|arxiv=0906.0144|series=Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings|isbn=978-3-642-02858-8|s2cid=118535689}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_l6eBQAAQBAJ|title=The Scientific Edge: The Indian Scientist from Vedic to Modern Times|author=Jayant V Narlikar|date=4 August 2003|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-93-5118-928-2}} The main aim of the observatory, according to Petrie, was

"to provide navigational assistance to the company ships and help determine the longitudes by observing the eclipses of Moon and satellites of Jupiter".{{cite book|author=Das Gupta|title=Science and Modern India: An Institutional History, c.1784-1947: Project of History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, Volume XV, Part 4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pks7BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA713|publisher=Pearson Longman|isbn=978-81-317-5375-0|page=713|year=1900}}

In 1790, this private observatory was taken over by the East India Company, with Michael Topping (1747–96) as an astronomer. In 1792, the observatory was expanded and shifted to a complex in Nungambakkam area of Chennai. This was the first modern observatory outside Europe.

As early as 1881, Mr. Blanford, then Meteorological Reporter to the government of India, recommended "the improvement of the work of solar observations in order to obtain accurate measures of the sun’s heating power at the earth’s surface and its periodic variations".[http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/034/mwr-034-05-0220a.pdf MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. MAY, 1906] {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/895397156 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/878503961 cite #2 – verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC bot/Job 18}} In May 1882, the government astronomer at Madras, Norman Robert Pogson, proposed the need for photography and spectrography of the sun and the stars using a twenty-inch telescope, which could be at a hill station in South India.

On 20 July 1893 following a famine in Madras Presidency, which underscored the need for a study of the sun to better understand monsoon patterns, a meeting of the U.K. Secretary of State, Indian Observatories Committee, chaired by Lord Kelvin, decided to establish a solar physics observatory at Kodaikanal, based on its southern, dust free, high altitude location. Michie Smith was selected to be superintendent. Starting in 1895 there was a rapid transfer of work and equipment from the Madras Observatory to Kodaikanal and the observatory was founded on 1 April 1899. Later this Kodaikanal solar observatory become the foundation of modern Indian institute of Astrophysics.

In 1968 a new field observatory was started at Kavalur for stellar spectroscopy and photometry. Expansion of activities and interests have led to the formation of the new optics, Electronics and data analysis centre at Bengaluru and the setting up at Gauri Bidanur of a large low frequency array for studies of galactic and extragalactic structure. In 1971, the former Astrophysical Observatory was converted to an autonomous research Institute wholly financed by the Government of India, and to be known henceforth as the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Presently, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics functions under the control of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dst.gov.in/autonomousstinstitutions/indian-institute-astrophysics-bangalore|title=Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore {{!}} Department of Science & Technology|website=dst.gov.in|access-date=2019-03-13}}

Academics

The Institute awards two types of degrees.

PhD{{Cite web|url=https://www.iiap.res.in/opportunities/graduate-studies/iia-pu/|title=PhD Programme in Astrophysics{{!}} Indian Institute of Astrophysics|website=www.iiap.res.in|access-date=2024-08-08}}
Integrated MTech-PhD{{Cite web|url=https://www.iiap.res.in/opportunities/graduate-studies/iia-cu/|title=Integrated MTech- PhD (Tech.) in Astronomical Instrumentation {{!}} Indian Institute of Astrophysics|website=www.iiap.res.in|access-date=2024-08-08}}

Notable faculty

Vainu Bappu
Vinod KrishanRohini Godbole (editor), Ram Ramaswamy (editor) (31 October 2008). Lilavati's Daughters: The Women Scientists of India. pp. 163–165, 359.
Annapurni Subramaniam