Aryabhatta Research Institute Of Observational Sci - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 8.5 km from Tallital Bus Stand, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) is an autonomous institute situated at Manora Peak near Nanitaal.

Established in 1955, ARIES was shifted to present location at Manora Peak in 1961. Having one of the best in world and most advanced telescopes in India, this observatory was setup in Nainital due to clear skies over the area. It came under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India as an autonomous body in 2004.

ARIES is one of the leading research institutes specialized in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences. The main research interests of Astronomy & Astrophysics division are in solar, planetary, stellar, galactic and extra-galactic astronomy including X-ray binaries, star clusters, nearby galaxies, quasars, and inherently transient events like supernova and highly energetic gamma ray bursts. Research focus in Atmospheric Sciences division is mainly in the lower part of the atmosphere and covers the studies on aerosols and trace gases.

The Institute hosts two telescopes of apertures 56 cm and 104 cm. There are two 15 cm telescopes dedicated for solar observations. The 104 cm optical telescope is being used as a main observing facility by the ARIES scientists since 1972.

The astronomical observatory is open to the public during working days on afternoons. Visitors are allowed in the observatory during full moon nights to watch celestial objects through the telescopes.