India’s biggest telescope, the Multi Application Solar Telescope (MAST) was inaugurated here at the city’s Solar Observatory on Tuesday morning by the chairman of counselling management of Physical Research Laboratory Professor U.R Rao.

On the occasion Rao informed that MAST will be the biggest ever telescope which can help to study the movements of stars and sun even in the day time. With the help of the device the researchers will be able to achieve new heights internationally in the study of sun and the related components.

The telescope was installed under the Ministry of Science and Technology and was funded by Department of Space. MAST is the nation’s first biggest telescope through which vital studies can be made about sun as well the 3-D images of the solar  blast and solar flares can be taken with its help.

Besides this, it will be also proved helpful to the solar astronomers in making quality research about the sun, study of sun’s magnetic field as well as study of solar atmosphere be made easy in future.

The telescope was installed at Udaipur’s solar observatory as it was surrounded by water, situated at 300 meters above the sea level and the temperature here remains pleasant. Moreover the turbulence in the air also helps in giving a stability in the study.

MAST was designed in 2004 and till 2008 the optical elements were added to it which were later installed at the observatory in 2012, said Rao.

MAST is installed with a glass of 50 centimeters diameter. The telescope is based on the Mechanical and Optical system of Belgium whose rear part was developed by the observatory and its front was developed by ISRO. The scientists have claimed that in the next 5 years they would be able to take the 3-D images of Sun’s atmosphere.