New age observing facilities for Indian astronomy: 2020–2035

Abstract

In this article, we present the current state of observing facilities available for Indian astronomers in various wavelength bands existing in the country. We also mention a few state-of-the-art astronomical facilities across the globe and contrast them with the Indian facilities. We then present a vision for improving our facilities to raise world-class capabilities. This process involves (a) upgrading the current facilities, (b) partnering in mega-science projects across the globe, (c) continued involvement in International projects, and (d) creating our large-scale facilities. These steps are divided into short, medium, and long-term tasks/projects. Recommendations for building large telescopes with versatile back-end instruments on Indian soil for Indian astronomers have been provided for each wavelength band. All these world-class astronomical observing facilities warrant cutting-edge technologies ranging from signal/image processing, high-performance computing, algorithms, and AI/ML. We hope this exercise will start a discussion and eventually lead to the initiation of these projects, which will result in significant scientific breakthroughs in the coming decades.