LIGO-India: A New Advanced Gravitational-Wave Observatory to be Built in Maharashtra

 LIGO-India is a planned advanced gravitational-wave observatory to be located in Hingoli district of Maharashtra, about 450 km east of Mumbai. It is envisaged as a collaborative project between a consortium of Indian research institutions and the LIGO Laboratory in the USA, along with its international partners. The US will provide key components for the lab worth $80 million, which amounts to Rs 560 crore.

The purpose of this observatory is to detect and study astronomical objects like neutron stars and black holes, as well as to better understand gravitational waves. It will also help in localising sources of gravitational waves anywhere in the sky by providing sharp sky location for about half of all possible locations in the sky. To do this, four comparable detectors need to be operational at any given time. When it begins operation, LIGO India will significantly improve the likelihood that four detectors are operating at once.

The project recently received environmental clearance and a geotechnical survey has been done for monitoring the project. An empowered board will also be set up for this purpose. This observatory will join two other such LIGO observatories already existing in the US and become part of an international network dedicated to detecting gravitational waves from space.

Sources

https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/ligo-india

https://www.ligo-india.in/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Initiative_in_Gravitational-wave_Observations