Hanle (Ladakh): Ladakh will soon have South East Asia’s first Night Sky Sanctuary being set up with the help of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru affiliated to the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India (GoI).
This Night Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle village in Eastern Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. 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.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space disclosed this while addressing the gathering after inaugurating the exhibition ‘Ladakh’s Pride’ being held here.
The exhibition is being held here to mark the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be requested to inaugurate this first-of-its-kind venture in India, said the minister.
Spread over 1,073 square kilometres, the Night Sky Reserve is located within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary and adjacent to the Indian Astronomical Observatory, the second-highest optical telescope in the world, of Indian Institute of Astrophysics at Hanle at an elevation of 4500 metres.
“At a time when the country is celebrating the success of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 solar mission, this Night Sky Reserve will fascinate the stargazers, being among only the 15 or 16 of its kind in the world,” said the minister.
UT Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have signed a tripartite MoU for launching the Dark Space Reserve. The site will have activities to help in boosting local tourism and economy through interventions of science and technology.
