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IIA Outreach
VISITING INDIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

The Indian Astronomical Observatory, the high-altitude station of IIA is situated at an altitude of 4500 metres above mean sea level to the north of Western Himalayas. Atop a mountain in the vast Nilamkhul Plain in the Hanle Valley of Changthang, Ladakh (4250m above MSL), the site is a dry, cold desert with a sparse human population and the ancient Hanle monastery as its nearest neighbour. The cloudless skies and low atmospheric water vapour make it one of the best sites in the world for optical, infrared, sub-millimetre, and millimetre wavelengths.

About the Visit

• Submit this form at least 15 days before your preferred date of visit.
• You are requested to strictly follow the health guidelines before and while visiting Leh and Hanle. IIA will not be responsible for the same.
• The IAO is open from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and again from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM on ALL days.
• There is no entrance fee.
• Since IAO is purely a scientific research observatory, there is NO provision to look through any telescope and no visitors are permitted after 5:30 PM.
• The visit will include a tour and presentation on the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope and a tour of the MACE facility.
• Driving at night (after 5:30 PM) around the observatory and its facilities is strictly prohibited.
• You are requested to follow all procedures and disciplines of the institute.
• A coordinator will guide you and are not to visit any other areas than the ones demarcated for the visit by the coordinator.
• Contact information of Astro-Ambassadors for an Astro-Tour can be found on here. Please note that this is a paid tour at a nominal price.