India’s first Dark Sky Reserve

India’s first Dark Sky Reserve- Relevance for UPSC Exam

General Studies III- Science and Technology.

In News

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) has announced the setting up of India’s first dark sky reserve at Hanle in Ladakh in the next three months.

What is a Dark Sky Reserve?

• A dark-sky reserve is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory that is kept free of artificial light pollution.
• The purpose of a dark sky preserve is generally to promote astronomy.
• Because different national organizations have worked independently to create their programs, different terms have been used to describe the areas.

How is it designated?

• A dark sky reserve is a designation given to a place that has policies in place to ensure that a tract of land or region has minimal artificial light interference.
• The International Dark Sky Association is a US-based non-profit that designates sites as international dark sky places, parks, sanctuaries and reserves, depending on the criteria they meet.
• Several such reserves exist around the world but none so far in India.

Dark Sky Reserve at Hanle

• Hanle, which is about 4,500 metres above sea level, hosts telescopes and is regarded as one of the world’s most optimal sites for astronomical observations.
• However, ensuring that the site remains well-suited for astronomy implies keeping the night sky pristine, or ensuring minimal interference to the telescopes from artificial light sources such as electric lights and vehicular lights from the ground.
• The site will have activities to help in boosting local tourism and economy through interventions of science and technology.

Conditions in India

• The Indian Astronomical Observatory, the high-altitude station of the IIA, is situated to the north of Western Himalayas, at an altitude of 4,500 metres above mean sea level.
• Located atop Mt. Saraswati in the Nilamkhul Plain in the Hanle Valley of Changthang, it is a dry, cold desert with sparse human population.
• The cloudless skies and low atmospheric water vapour make it one of the best sites in the world for optical, infrared, sub-millimetre, and millimetre wavelengths.

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