Abstract:
The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), a premier autonomous research institute under the
Department of Science and Technology, Government of India has a legacy of about seven decades with contributions made
in the field of observational sciences namely atmospheric and astrophysics. The Survey of India used a location at ARIES,
determined with an accuracy of better than 10 m on a world datum through institute’s participation in a global network of
Earth artificial satellites imaging during late 1950’s. Taking advantage of its high-altitude location, ARIES, for the first time,
provided valuable input for climate change studies by long term characterization of physical and chemical properties of
aerosols and trace gases in the central Himalayan regions. In astrophysical sciences, the institute has contributed precise and
sometime unique observations of the celestial bodies leading to a number of discoveries. With the installation of the 3.6-m
Devasthal optical telescope in the year 2015, India became the only Asian country to join those few nations of the world
who are hosting 4-m class optical telescopes. This telescope, having advantage of geographical location, is well-suited for
multi-wavelength observations and for sub-arc-second resolution imaging of the celestial objects including follow-up of the
GMRT, AstroSat and gravitational-wave sources.
