Expat astronomer welcomes India's telescope quest

AN EXPAT Indian astronomer in Texas, who was one of the first humans to glimpse the Universe's most distant galaxy, is hopeful about the future of science in India and about India pitching in to build (he world's largest telescope. "I am optimistic about the future of science and education in India." Goa-born Vithal Tilvi told IANS in an e-mail interview, adding that investing in these spheres always reaped prospcrity. A post-doctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, Tilvi also lauded the Indian Government's initiative to invest, along with Canada. Japan. China and the US. in large facilities like the world's largest optical and infrared telescope that spans 30 metres.

Tilvi was pan of a team headed by noted astronomer Steven Finkelstein which sighted the new galaxy z8_GND_5296. They caught sight of it in infra-red light, after its light bounced off the orbiting Hubble Space telescope and a Hawaiian observatory after travelling 13.1 billion years.