# Hanle

*Observatory*

Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Where it is | 32.7800° N, 78.9600° E |
| State | IN |
| What is done there | optical observatory |
| Main mirror | 2 m |
| Still working | yes |

Test ranges, observatories and ground stations are a hand-picked list kept in this project rather than a published catalogue: no catalogue answers which of the world's thousands of observing sites belong on a map of it. The article below is what lets the choice be argued with.

## What it is

The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is a high-altitude astronomy station in Hanle, Ladakh, India, operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Situated in the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,500 metres (14,800 ft), it is among the world's highest sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.

## Elsewhere

- This place on the live map: https://www.orbitalmap.space/?at=32.78,78.96
- The article this row is vouched by: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Astronomical_Observatory
- Every object: https://www.orbitalmap.space/o/
- What this site is and what it reads: https://www.orbitalmap.space/llms.txt

## Where this came from

Compiled 2026-09-17. Selected by hand for this project. Description from Wikipedia (en). Description: CC BY-SA 4.0.