Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope
| Alternative names | MACET |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | India |
| Coordinates | 32°46′48″N 78°58′35″E / 32.7801°N 78.9763°E |
| Altitude | 4,270 m (14,010 ft) |
| Collecting area | 356 m2 (3,830 sq ft) |
| Focal length | 21 m (68 ft 11 in) |
| Website | www |
Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) is an imaging atmospheric Cerenkov telescope (IACT) located near Hanle, Ladakh, India. It is the highest (in altitude) and second largest Cerenkov telescope in the world. It was built by Electronics Corporation of India, Hyderabad, for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and was assembled at the campus of Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle. It was originally scheduled to become operational by 2016, but plans were pushed back to begin operations in 2020.
Due to the remote location and harsh environment of the site, the telescope is remotely operated. A dedicated 240 kW solar power station was built to fulfil the power requirements of the observatory.
The telescope is the second-largest gamma ray telescope in the world and will help the scientific community enhance its understanding in the fields of astrophysics, fundamental physics, and particle acceleration mechanisms. The largest telescope of the same class is the 28-metre-diameter High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) telescope being operated in Namibia.
Though commissioned on September, 2021, the telescope was formally inaugurated on 4th October 2024