General Awareness ยท Physics

Indian Observatories and Astronomy

2,525 Questions

Indian observatories and astronomy questions cover national research institutions, space telescopes, radio telescopes, and historic astronomical events. These facts are highly relevant for the general awareness section of UPSC and state PSC exams. Solve these questions to memorize key observatories and their specific functions.

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Indian Observatories and Astronomy Questions

Multiple choice

Which Indian telescope is used for observations related to dark energy research?

  1. Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)

  2. Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT)

  3. Vainu Bappu Observatory (VBO)

  4. Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

GMRT is a radio telescope located in Pune, India, which has been used for observations of distant galaxies and quasars to study the expansion history of the universe and constrain dark energy models.

Multiple choice

Which Indian institution is involved in the international Dark Energy Survey (DES)?

  1. IIA

  2. TIFR

  3. NCRA

  4. ISRO
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

IIA is a partner in the international DES collaboration, which aims to study dark energy through observations of distant galaxies and supernovae.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the Indian initiative focused on dark energy research?

  1. Indian Dark Energy Initiative (IDEI)

  2. Dark Energy Consortium of India (DECI)

  3. Indian Centre for Dark Energy Research (ICDER)

  4. National Institute for Dark Energy Studies (NIDES)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

IDEI is a collaborative effort involving several Indian institutions and scientists, aimed at advancing research and understanding of dark energy.

Multiple choice

Which Indian institution is known for its work on modified theories of gravity in relation to dark energy?

  1. TIFR

  2. IIA

  3. NCRA

  4. ISRO
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

TIFR has made significant contributions to the study of modified theories of gravity, which propose alternatives to General Relativity to explain the observed acceleration of the universe's expansion.

Multiple choice

Which Indian institution is involved in the international Euclid mission, aimed at studying dark energy and dark matter?

  1. IIA

  2. TIFR

  3. NCRA

  4. ISRO
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

IIA is a partner in the international Euclid mission, which will use weak gravitational lensing and other techniques to study the properties of dark energy and dark matter.

Multiple choice

Which Indian institution is involved in the international Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project, aimed at studying dark energy and other cosmic phenomena?

  1. IIA

  2. TIFR

  3. NCRA

  4. ISRO
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

NCRA is a partner in the international SKA project, which will be one of the world's largest radio telescopes and will be used to study dark energy, cosmology, and other astrophysical topics.

Multiple choice

Which Indian institution is involved in the international Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) project, aimed at studying dark energy and the expansion history of the universe?

  1. IIA

  2. TIFR

  3. NCRA

  4. ISRO
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

IIA is a partner in the international DESI project, which will use a spectrograph on the Mayall telescope in Arizona to study the properties of dark energy and the evolution of the universe.

Multiple choice

Which Indian observatory has been actively involved in observing asteroid occultations and transits?

  1. Vainu Bappu Observatory

  2. Udaipur Solar Observatory

  3. ARIES, Nainital

  4. Gurushikhar Observatory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Vainu Bappu Observatory has been actively involved in observing asteroid occultations and transits.

Multiple choice

Which Indian astronomer was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Pluto in 1988?

  1. J.N. Tata

  2. M.K. Vainu Bappu

  3. V.S. Shevgaonkar

  4. K.D. Abhyankar
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

K.D. Abhyankar was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Pluto in 1988.

Multiple choice

Which Indian observatory was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Jupiter in 1997?

  1. Vainu Bappu Observatory

  2. Udaipur Solar Observatory

  3. ARIES, Nainital

  4. Gurushikhar Observatory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Vainu Bappu Observatory was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Jupiter in 1997.

Multiple choice

Which Indian astronomer was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Saturn in 2006?

  1. J.N. Tata

  2. M.K. Vainu Bappu

  3. V.S. Shevgaonkar

  4. K.D. Abhyankar
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

V.S. Shevgaonkar was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Saturn in 2006.

Multiple choice

Which Indian observatory was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Uranus in 2017?

  1. Vainu Bappu Observatory

  2. Udaipur Solar Observatory

  3. ARIES, Nainital

  4. Gurushikhar Observatory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Vainu Bappu Observatory was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Uranus in 2017.

Multiple choice

Which Indian astronomer was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Neptune in 2023?

  1. J.N. Tata

  2. M.K. Vainu Bappu

  3. V.S. Shevgaonkar

  4. K.D. Abhyankar
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

K.D. Abhyankar was involved in the observation of the asteroid occultation by Neptune in 2023.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the Indian research facility that played a crucial role in the detection of gravitational waves?

  1. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)

  2. Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)

  3. National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA)

  4. Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, India, played a vital role in the detection of gravitational waves. TIFR scientists were involved in the design and construction of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which made the groundbreaking discovery.

Multiple choice

In which year did Indian scientists make a significant contribution to the first direct image of a black hole?

  1. 2015

  2. 2017

  3. 2019

  4. 2021
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Indian scientists made a significant contribution to the first direct image of a black hole, which was achieved in 2019 by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration. Indian astronomers from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) played key roles in this historic achievement.