India will build the world's largest solar telescope in the India-controlled Kashmir's cold desert region of Ladakh, at an estimated cost of US$31 million, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics said Thursday.

"The solar telescope will help study the microscopic structure of the sun and derive specific observations that are speculative in nature," China's Xinhua news agency quoted IIA Director Siraj Hasan as saying to a local media.

Apart from IIA, the National Large Solar Telescope project involves the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

"The pre-technical discussion meeting will be held in October," Hasan said.

The proposed telescope, which will be used to observe the sun during the day, will need a location with long hours of clear sunshine and clean visible conditions.

The 10-metre optical telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii is currently the largest solar telescope in the world.

Source : Bernama