Astronomy is the oldest science. The sky is a free resource, and those who live away from city lights are fortunate to enjoy it for their passion, imagination, and even livelihood. This is the story of Henley, a small Himalayan village with one of the darkest skies in the world. Its Bortley-1 skies – the highest clarity rating on a nine-point scale – make it seem like astronomy is for everyone.
Located in Ladakh, Hanle is now protected as India’s first Dark Sky Reserve. It is managed as part of an MoU between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru, the Union Territory of Ladakh and the Ladakh Hill Development Council in Leh. Hanle, once a region of nomadic people, is now emerging as a stargazing destination.
A Dark Sky Reserve is a designated area with exceptionally clear skies, and is maintained by reducing light pollution. Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, a unique government-funded and science-driven sustainable development initiative, is located within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, surrounding the Indian Astronomical Observatory, a research facility run by IIA.
The observatory hosts two optical telescopes, the Himalayan Chandra Telescope and the Growth India Telescope (with IIT Bombay), and two Cherenkov telescopes – the High Altitude Gamma-ray Telescope Array (with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre). Is.
Dorje Angchuk, engineer in charge of the observatory, said, “Countless clear-sky nights, fewer atmospheric particles absorbing light from celestial bodies, and less light pollution make Hanle an ideal location for astronomical observations.”
Mr Angchuk said that to reduce light pollution in the reserve, IIA has distributed lamp shades, blackout curtains and warm-tone bulbs to all houses and infrastructure in the village. In support of astrotourism, IIA scientists have trained 25 local youth as “astronomy ambassadors”, 18 of whom are women. These ambassadors are equipped with telescopes and teach basic astronomy concepts. They lead night-sky tours for visitors which helps them earn a part-time income.
star party
Starting in 2023, the Hanley Dark Sky Reserve is hosting an annual “Star Party” at this location. The third edition took place from 18 September to 23 September this year. At these parties, astronomy enthusiasts, astrophotographers and stargazers come together to observe and celebrate the night sky. Their gathering creates a space for astronomy education, hands-on learning, and collaboration.
Unlike traditional parties, a star party is a gathering held under a dark sky, devoid of white lights (or loud sounds for that matter), in which participants are engaged in quiet observation.
This year’s party gathered about 47 participants, including beginners and professional stargazers (and this author). Early evenings featured tutorials and lectures on the best ways to use clear, dark skies, while nights were spent observing and capturing images of the sky. The team was supported by volunteers and repeat participants from the Bangalore Astronomical Society.
“The skies are so clear at Henley that you can see many elusive and unique phenomena not seen anywhere else,” said Ajay Talwar, an amateur astronomer and telescope maker who runs a company called Aperture Telescope in Gurugram.
These phenomena include the zodiacal light, a faint glow that appears at twilight along the Sun’s path in the sky, caused by sunlight being scattered by dust particles in the inner Solar System, and which he said “can only be seen from Henley”.
Mr. Talwar has been an astrophotographer since 1987. During the star party’s orientation program, he talked to the participants about other similar astronomical phenomena and the best time to observe them. For example, a Gegenschen, he said, is a bright patch in the sky found opposite the Sun’s position, also called an antisolar point. The Belt of Venus is a similarly pink band of light visible on the opposite side of the setting sun, above a dark blue band in the evening sky. The dark blue stripe is the Earth’s shadow and the pink stripe is backscattered sunlight.
“The clear skies and dry weather and time spent with the sky brings me back here every year,” Neelam Talwar, an Air India crew member and member of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New Delhi, said at the event.
Ms Talwar expressed a special fondness for photographing the Venus belt and zodiacal light. He also shared details of last year’s events, where participants learned to capture people in the dark against starry backdrops by lighting their subjects from different angles.
According to Mr Talwar, Henley has low oxygen, low humidity and high ultraviolet radiation – all factors considered very suitable for astronomy. However, he said, these are very bad for the human body.
“So, it is very important to come here with a lot of planning and rest.”
In fact, the IIA advised Star Party attendees to reach Leh two days before the trip to Hanle so that we can acclimatize ourselves to the low oxygen levels and dry air. A medical professional explored the potential health problems at high altitude, and everyone had to complete a medical checkup before starting the trip. In Hanle, which is located 4,250 meters above sea level, there were volunteers available to provide medical checks and help through the night.
Participants register through an application form which the IIA opens for the Star Party around August. They were selected based on their experience, passion for astronomy, and their plans to utilize Hanley’s pristine skies.
life around the stars
Rangdol Dorje, ambassador for astronomy since 2022, said the local economy is thriving due to the influx of tourists to Hanle to see the stars. According to Mr Angchuk, there were about 10,000 visitors to the reserve in 2024.
Mr Dorje also said that visitors often ask if they can see the stars at night when entering the village and many are particularly interested in seeing the planets and the moon through telescopes. Mr Dorje studied computer science, but said he found astronomical concepts easier to learn, saying “astronomy is for everyone”.
“To be honest, I’m really lucky to have been born in Hanle,” said Tsering Skitzom, a newly appointed astronomy ambassador who has a background in accounting.
He said it’s important to share our natural surroundings and astronomy experiences with others outside of Hanley.
Ms Skitzom said, “I think practical is more important than theoretical. We are giving practical education through binoculars with the help of senior ambassadors.”
There are fewer tourists in winter due to the cold; Currently, Astronomy Ambassadors teach local school children.
“I teach elective courses on astronomy and culture as a pedagogical approach,” said Astronomy Ambassador Padma Ishii. (The alternative approach deals with teaching subjects which are not covered in schools). He said that if young students learn about their culture well, they will do better research.
Mr Ishii and Anmol Tiku, a teacher and filmmaker, are working on preserving local traditional knowledge of the night sky by collecting stories, proverbs and folk songs from elders in Hanle and the surrounding area. Many participants said that her performance at the Star Party was an eye-opener.
come to the mountains
Hanle village and Indus river at Changthang. , Photo Credit: Ashish Kothari/KSL
Namrata Pathak, a scientist from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, stressed the importance of the relationship between science, nature, habitat and indigenous knowledge and urged their joint conservation. She called her own star party experience “fantastic” and “breathtaking”, and said she would love to see the Milky Way.
Khurshid Alam, a senior lecturer from Jammu and Kashmir, said he plans to share what he has learned with his students. “I learned about different types of telescopes, especially automatic telescopes. One of the most interesting things I learned was how to take astrophotographs using my phone.”
Rashmi Sheoran, an astronomy teacher from Haryana, who attended the Star Party for the first time, said she believed that the images of the universe available on the internet were qualitatively better than those seen through a telescope. His time at the party changed his mind: “After seeing the planets with my own eyes, I found the view to be as good or even better than the pictures I had seen before,” he commented.
Munir Wani, teacher and divisional nodal officer of STEM and Aakash laboratories in Jammu and Kashmir, said he would encourage people interested in space science and astronomy to explore careers beyond traditional engineering and medicine. At the party, Mr Wani said he was able to improve his own astrophotography skills with Mr Talwar’s help, and succeeded in capturing high-quality images of the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy.
On the last night of the party, participants welcomed tourists and locals to explore the sky with binoculars. About 300 people participated in this open event, including Indian Army soldiers and officers posted nearby.
“To promote astro-tourism, we are building a mini-planetarium in (the reserve). We are also planning to build a transparent dome called ‘Astroglobe’ to benefit tourists and the planetarium during the harsh winter season,” Mr Angchuk said.
With the motto “Come for the mountains, stay for the stars”, Hanley Dark Sky Reserve is showing how the Himalayan skies are being preserved today and will be passed on for future generations, while also helping the local economy.
Sreejaya Karantha is a freelance science writer.
