Hanle Dark Sky Reserve

Hanle Dark Sky Reserve:

A rare blood-red auroral activity was captured by the all-sky camera at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh’s Hanle Dark Sky Reserve.

• Hanle Dark Sky Reserve is located in the remote Changthang region of Ladakh.
• It is part of the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, offering Bortle-1 dark skies (the darkest category).
• It is India’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, centred around the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at Hanle.
• It is managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology
• The reserve aims to curb light pollution and promote astro-tourism benefiting local communities.
• The reserve is a science-driven socio-economic development project, built on two pillars:
  • Curtailing light pollution in the region
  • Promoting astro-tourism for local livelihood generation
• Hanle’s pristine dark skies and transparent atmosphere allow observing and photographing faint celestial objects that are often impossible from other locations in India.