Abstract

I include a few aspects of the early history of radio astronomy from Karl Jansky and Grote Reber to the developments of radio telescopes and aperture synthesis imaging techniques with specific comments on the developments in India. 50 years ago this year quasars were discovered. It is also 50 years since the beginning of radio astronomy in India and the design of the Ooty lunar occultation telescope was triggered by the lunar occultation observation of the first quasar.