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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox observatory
|name = Mount Abu Observatory
|image = Mount Abu Observatory.JPG
|caption = Observatory as seen from [[Guru Shikhar]].
|established = 1990<ref name=BASI24 />
|head = Prof. P. Janardhan
|city = [[Mount Abu]]
|state = [[Rajasthan]]
|country = [[India]]
|coords = {{coord|24|39|17.34|N|72|46|45.18|E|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:IN_source:dewiki}}
|website = [http://www.prl.res.in/~aadto/aa.php Physical Research Laboratory]
}}
The '''Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory''' (MIRO) is located near the town [[Mount Abu]] in the state of [[Rajasthan]], India. The observatory is at an altitude of 1680 metres and is adjacent to [[Guru Shikhar]], highest peak of the [[Aravalli Range]]. The 1.2 m [[infrared telescope]]<ref>{{citation|last=Padmanabhan|first=Thanu|title=New Challenges In Astrophysics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQCqVcbaZb8C&pg=PA164|date=1997|publisher=New Age International|isbn=978-81-224-1120-1|page=164}}</ref> at It is the first major facility in India specifically designed for ground-based, infrared observations of celestial objects. Further the low amount of precipitable water vapour (1–2 mm during winter) at Guru Shikhar makes it a good site for the infrared telescope observations. The site has been found to be good (about 150 cloud free nights per year) for astronomical observations.<ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/indianspacescience/spacesciencefacilities/opticaltelescopesinindia.html Optical, Infrared and Radio Telescope Facilities in India]. Retrieved 2 January 2013.</ref>

==Location==
The Observatory is located near [[Guru Shikhar]], the highest peak of the [[Aravalli Range]] at an altitude of 1680 metres.<ref name=BASI24>{{cite journal |last=Shah|first=R. R. |author2=N. S. Jog |author3=D. V. Subhedhar |author4=D. V. Subhedar |author5=A. D. Bobra |author6=H. T. Rangooni |author7=S. N. Mathur |author8=P. S. Patwal |author9=G. S. Rajpurohit |author10=J. K. Jain |display-authors=8 |title=The telescope control system at Mt. Abu infrared observatory|journal=Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India|date=2005|volume=33|pages=237–243|accessdate=9 February 2014|url=http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in:8081/~basi/05June/0533237.pdf|bibcode = 2005BASI...33..237S }}</ref> Mt Abu is about 28 km from the Abu Road railway station and about 240 km from Ahmedabad. MIRO is operated by the Astronomy & Astrophysics Division of the [[Physical Research Laboratory]], [[Ahmedabad]].

==Observation==
Mt. Abu has about 200 cloud-free nights of which 150 nights a year can be used for photometric observations.<ref name=FL19Apr>{{cite news|last=Ramachandran|first=R|title=Indian search|url=http://www.frontline.in/science-and-technology/indian-search/article4569430.ece|accessdate=9 February 2014|newspaper=Frontline|date=19 April 2013}}</ref>
It has a typical seeing of ~1.2 arcsec. Observations are closed during Indian monsoon period (Late June to mid-September).

==Facilities==
Mt. Abu Observatory is equipped with a 1.2m Infrared Telescope along with the following back-end instruments: NICMOS Infrared Camera and Spectrograph, Imaging Fabry-Perot Spectrometer, large format optical CCDs, Optical Imaging Polarimeter and Fibre-linked Grating Spectrograph.<ref>{{cite web|title=PRL — Astronomy & Astrophysics Division|url=http://www.prl.res.in/~aadto/aa.php|publisher=PRL|accessdate=9 February 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201160645/https://www.prl.res.in/~aadto/aa.php|archivedate=1 February 2016}}</ref> A new high resolution optical spectrometer, PRL Advanced Radial-velocity All-sky Search (PARAS) to detect extrasolar planets using the radial velocity technique began observation in April 2012.<ref name=FL19Apr /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/scientist-at-mount-abu-observatory-make-india-proud-discover-new-planet-600-light-years-away-347005.html|title=Scientist At Mount Abu Observatory Make India Proud, Discover New Planet 600 Light Years Away|work=indiatimes.com|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en}}</ref>

In addition to these, a 50 cm telescope, Automated Telescope for Variability Study (ATVS), is now functional to monitor variable sources, e.g. AGNs, variable stars, Comets etc. and another 43 cm telescope for ground-based photometry.{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}} MIRO has its own Aluminizing plant for polishing of the telescope mirrors,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2005BASI...33..237S/0000241.000.html|title=2005BASI...33..237S Page 241|website=articles.adsabs.harvard.edu|access-date=2017-09-19}}</ref> a liquid nitrogen plant for providing liquid nitrogen to cool the IR detectors to reduce thermal noise.

A new facility, created by LEOS, ISRO will become operational next year. This facility will have a one-meter diameter telescope with sophisticated optics and back-end instruments assembled by the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS), Bengaluru. The new facility, known as the Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (EODSS) system, will track space debris, mainly consisting of inactive satellites, electronic parts of instruments, leftovers from rocket launch and other such junk in space.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Isro-PRLs-observatory-at-Mt-Abu-to-track-space-junk/articleshow/54418168.cms|title=Isro-PRL's observatory at Mt Abu to track space junk - Times of India|work=The Times of India|access-date=2017-09-19}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of astronomical observatories]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.prl.res.in/~miro/index.php?id=1 MIRO on PRL Astronomy & Astrophysics Division website]
* [https://www.isro.gov.in/mount-abu-infrared-observatory-miro-unveiling-universe# MIRO on ISRO website]

{{Telescopes and Observatories in India}}
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[[Category:Astronomical observatories in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Mount Abu]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Rajasthan]]

Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory - Revision history

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