The administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh has officially identified a 1,073 sqkm area in Ladakh’s Hanle as India’s first dark sky reserve and will be known as the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR).
In its gazette notification issued by the UT’s Wildlife Department and published on December 5, the UT has earmarked this area covering a cluster of six hamlets of Hanle revenue range. These hamlets include Bhok, Khuldo, Shado, Punguk, Naga and the Tibetan Refugee habitations located within the Changthan Wildlife Sanctuary, situated around the Indian Astronomical Observatory owned by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
The formal decision to set up this Dark Sky Reserve came following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed between officials of the Department of Science and Technology-run IIA, Bengaluru, the Ladakh UT and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council in June this year. In September, Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, announced that the reserve will be established by the end of 2022.
Now that the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, located 4,500 metres above sea level, has been officially notified, the HDSR will bring to effect and take steps to enforce reduction in the effect of artificial light pollution emanating from homes, streetlights, vehicles and other sources. However, the notification mentioned that the efforts towards reducing artificial light pollution should be voluntarily taken up by the villagers and local government agencies. Alongside conserving wildlife, the reserve also aims to promote astronomy-tourism, spread awareness and education about astronomy and overall scientific temper among youngsters and the tourists.
The geographical co-ordinates (covering grey area) of the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh. Source: UT Ladakh Gazette
In the pilot phase, IIA has procured 10 basic telescopes and plans to install them in local homes and homestays. The institute has been interacting with local youngsters and offering trainings for using these telescopes for basic sky gazing, identification of constellations, locating the pole star among others.
Extended and harsh winters, when the minimum temperatures drop below 40 degrees Celsius, high levels of aridity, limited vegetation, high and mountainous elevation and large areas with sparse population — all make it perfect for setting up long-term astronomical observatories and Dark Sky Places.
Any land qualifies as a dark sky place only if it is either publicly or privately-owned; is accessible to the public partially or entirely during the year; the land is legally protected for scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment purposes; the core area of the land provides an exceptional dark sky resource relative to the communities and cities that surround it and the land offers prescribed night sky brightness either for a reserve, park or sanctuary. This certification is provided by International Dark Sky Association (IDSA), and India is in the process of getting this official certification from the international body.
Scientists at IIA and DST will extend all required scientific and technological support operating the reserve. In fact, IIA has been conducting astronomical observations through the pristine skies of Hanle using its telescopes operating in the gamma, infrared and optical wavelengths. Their studies have been focused on galaxies, exoplanets and stars.
