Indian scientists develop Open-source tool for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)

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It will create a comprehensive star catalogue for the Adaptive Optics system (AOS) of the TMT, enabling TMT to generate sharper astronomical images.

Telescopes on Earth’s surface face atmospheric distortion, affecting the quality of images (more pronounced in telescopes with high light-collection capacities, like the TMT).
To counteract this, an AOS is used.

About Adaptive Optics system

Involves sophisticated, deformable mirrors controlled by computers to correct the distortion caused by turbulence of Earth’s atmosphere in real-time.
To achieve this, it requires a fairly bright reference star (close to the object under study) to measure the blurring that has to be corrected by the deformable mirror.
- Above mentioned AOS system on TMT, aka Narrow Field Infrared Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS), would be enhanced by a Laser Guide Star (LGS) facility.
- It would require feedback from three real stars, known as Natural Guide Stars (NGS).

It involves large telescopes located on Earth’s surface employing sophisticated optics to capture and analyze celestial objects.
Unlike space based telescopes, they are cost effective and easier to maintain.
It includes the Extremely Large Telescopes currently under development: The Thirty Meter Telescope, the Giant Magellan Telescope, and the European Southern Observatory.

It is being installed at Maunakea in Hawaii, designed and developed by the TMT International Observatory LLC (TIO).
- TIO is a non-profit international partnership involving the USA, Japan, India (Department of Science and Technology), and Canada.
Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and the Aryabhatta Research Institute for Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital are involved in collaboration with TMT.