The 125th anniversary of the iconic Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO) was celebrated on 1 April 2024 by Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
- Established on 1 April 1899 by the British, the Observatory has one of the longest continuous daily records of the Sun in the world, and this unique database has been digitised and is publicly available for astronomers from across the globe.
- The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory bears testament to more than a century and half of scientists deciphering the Sun from Indian soil, starting with chasing eclipses, discovering Helium in 1868, to understanding the plasma process in the Sun and the production of prominences and flares.
- 1st April is also celebrated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics as its Foundation Day, commemorating when it was constituted as an institution under the Department of Science & Technology in 1971.
