Udaipur Solar Observatory Marks 50 Years with Conference on Solar Physics
Celebrate 50 years of Udaipur Solar Observatory! International solar physics conference from Feb 10 featuring Padma Shri AS Kiran Kumar, high-resolution solar studies and MAST telescope insights
Udaipur, Feb 10, 2026 - The Udaipur Solar Observatory, established in 1975 by the visionary late Prof. Arvind Bhatnagar on an island in the middle of Fateh Sagar, is celebrating its golden jubilee year. As part of these celebrations, an international conference on “Exploring the Sun at High-Resolution: Present Perspectives and Future Horizons” will be held from February 10 to 13 at Third Space, Udaipur.
Around 100 eminent solar physicists from India and abroad are expected to participate in the workshop.
Director of the Observatory, Shibu Mathew said the conference will provide a platform for experts to share findings from advanced telescopes and missions regarding solar atmospheric events and to discuss future directions in high-resolution solar physics.
The inauguration session on Tuesday (February 10) will feature addresses by Padma Shri AS Kiran Kumar from ISRO and the Space Commission. Dr Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar will be the Guest of Honour. Prof. Anil Bhardwaj will deliver the welcome speech and a historical overview of the observatory will be presented by Prof. Bhuvan Joshi.
Mathew said that the Udaipur Solar Observatory has gained global recognition in the field of solar physics. This year marks a dual milestone with the 10th anniversary of its Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST), which is India’s largest and most advanced solar observation facility.
The primary goal of the observatory is to advance understanding of solar dynamics, including interactions between different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere. Its broader objective is to clarify the impacts of near-Earth space weather and assess how solar magnetic fields influence both terrestrial and space-based technologies.
Mathew shared that the MAST telescope, at the heart of the observatory’s research, enables high-resolution solar physics studies and complements data from India’s Aditya-L1 mission. Observations from MAST are integrated with other instruments such as GONG and e-Callisto, aiding comprehensive studies of solar events. These observational datasets also support advanced numerical simulations using the supercomputing resources of the Physical Research Laboratory.
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