India’s first Dark sky reserve in Ladakh is all set to welcome Amateur astronomers as a three-member team of amateur astronomers from Coimbatore, are coming to take part in the first stargazing trip to Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) from September 23 to September 28.
“The Dark Sky Reserve is a space protected from lights to preserve the pristine night skies,” says Obuli Chandran, a science educator from the city.
The trip is being organised together by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS), under the direction of IIA’s Dorje Angchuk and Keerthi Kiran, Vishwanath SK, and Sudhash Natarajan of BAS. They are carrying numerous pairs of binoculars and three Dobsonian telescopes, popularly known as the “light buckets,” each measuring eight, ten, and twelve inches.
Obuli said that the motive behind this trip is to make people appreciate astronomy and added that they want to bring back those images to show people what a clear, dark sky can unravel and the need to preserve it.
Hanle, which is situated in an area of very little rainfall, experiences clear sky for nearly two-thirds of the year. It is a cold, arid, high-altitude desert. This is also the reason that the Indian Institute of Astrophysics has telescopes there like the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). The HCT is located in one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world.