India’s First Night Sky Sanctuary In Ladakh!

On October 31st, as a component of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, the first Dark Sky Reserve or Night Sky Sanctuary of India will almost be officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Radha Krishna Mathur. 

As announced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh in September of this year, the Night Sky Sanctuary plans to increase Astro tourism in India and become one of the world’s most prominent locations for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.

India’s First Night Sky Sanctuary Sets Up On 31 October In Ladakh!

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Improvement Council (LAHDC), the Union Territory government and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics are all partners in this project. The project intends to protect the night sky from artificial lighting and other sources of light pollution.

Which pose a severe threat to astronomical observations and unpolluted skies. Ladakh, well-known to Bollywood fans for the films 3 Idiots starring Amir Khan and Jab Tak Hain Jaan starring Shah Rukh Khan, is a year-round vacation destination for bikers.

Also, wildlife enthusiasts come to experience the raw beauty of nature amidst unpolluted mountains and water methods. This is putting the Dark Sky Reserve’s resources to the test.

In Other Words, What Exactly Is Sanctuary In The Night Sky?

Hanle, 300 kilometers from Ladakh, is where the business is based; the environment is dry, and the skies are clear year-round. Twenty-two kilometers from the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle is where the Dark Sky Reserve’s center of gravity can be found.

Tourists go to Hanle to see the Milky Way, and the city benefits from the influx of new visitors. Because of the clear night skies and low levels of atmospheric disturbance in the Hanle region, the Milky Way can be seen there.

The Operation Of The Dark Sky Preserve

As a result of the research, 24 people from a group of five villages near and including the Indian Astronomical Observatory have been selected as “Astro ambassadors” (IAO). 

These space emissaries may be given access to 8-inch Dobsonian telescopes to observe the cosmos. This trip could be the next one on your “bucket list.” The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), based in Bengaluru, proposed the Dark Sky Reserve idea. 

Astro-Ambassadors

From the nearly seventy applications received for the position of Astro ambassador, only twenty-four have been chosen. They are experts at using telescopes and recognizing a variety of astronomical phenomena. 

The envoys have visited IAO and IIA Bengaluru workshops. Additionally, the ambassadors have been instructed to avoid exposure to light air pollution and provided unique drapes to this end.

Delineators are additionally being put in on roads to cut back reliance on road lights and to make sure vacationers to the realm will not be driving with excessive beams; as a result of low aerosol content material within the air.

The powerful beams can journey as much as 10 kilometers in the air and may affect observations at night.

Betterment Of The Economy

The Dark Sky Reserve was established to help the local economy and is located in the Changthang Plateau’s wetland areas. Many B&Bs have sprung up in the cluster of villages surrounding Hanle Observatory to meet the needs of astronomy tourists. 

Tourists may pay a fee to view the cosmos, although the exact cost has not been decided and will be the subject of upcoming debates. As an alternative to China’s Dark Sky Reserve, established in 2016, this one is regarded as a possible answer.

The power went live in the Ngari prefecture of Tibet, between Nepal and India.

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