India, Dec. 2 -- For the first time, the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune is all set to participate in international observations. After a series of upgrades and nearly two years of successful trial runs, the GMRT will now be integrated with global Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) networks, allowing Indian telescopes to work in sync with observatories across Europe, Australia and Japan; the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) confirmed.

Yashwant Gupta, director of the NCRA, said that the integration marks a significant leap in the GMRT's observational range. "The GMRT has completed extensive groundwork to expand its reach far beyond the existing 30 km baseline. The GMRT's 30 antennas work together as a s...