A Starry Night: India’s First Ever Night Sky Sanctuary To Be Set Up In Ladakh Soon!

Another reason to visit Ladakh is here. Soon a a night sky sanctuary will be set up boosting astro tourism in India. Time to get the bedspreads and gaze at the twinkling sky.

Night Sky Sanctuary: Gazing at the glinting star up above so high is an enchanting experience. Trying to look for constellations or may be have an a chance encounter of a falling star are just few of the stargazer things, right. So, are you a stargazer or an astronomy enthusiast? Then here is some exciting news for you. In a unique and first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has undertaken to set up India’s first-ever “Night Sky Sanctuary” in Ladakh which will be completed within the next three months. The proposed Dark Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh said that all the stakeholders will jointly work towards the preservation of the night sky from unwanted light pollution and illumination, which is a serious threat to the scientific observations and natural sky conditions.

WHY HANLE IS THE BEST SUITED SPOT FOR NIGHT SKY SANCTUARY?

• It is located in the Ladakh’s cold desert region making it distant from human disturbances and sort of other commercialisation. The purity of this place will lure visitors.
• It also has clear sky conditions and dry weather for major part of the year making it an ideal spot for skygazing.
• It will boost astro tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infra-red, and gamma-ray telescopes.
• It will also help boost local economy as they will be trained pertaining to astro tourism activities.

The Minister informed that a tripartite MoU was signed recently among the the UT administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) for launching the Dark Space Reserve.

The sky of Hanle falls under the Changthan Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh. Charthang in Ladakh has over 4 lakh animals, mainly pashmina goats, besides sheep and yak. It is common knowledge that Ladakh not only has jaw-dropping scenic scapes but also boast of the crystal clear skies making Hanle a possessor of a pristine and immaculate environment.  Now there will one more reason to visit Ladakh!

Meanwhile Alexa plays Cold Play Song : ‘Cause you’re a sky, ’cause you’re a sky full of stars…I’m gonna give you my heart…