The young women guiding tourists through India's night sky — SkimNews
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- Palzes Angmo, Tsering Dolker, Tsering Yangdol and Padma Chamchot serve as Hanle's astro-ambassadors after being trained in 2022 by the Ladakh administration and Indian Institute of Astrophysics over 15 days to identify stars, planets, constellations and operate telescopes.
- Hanle, located at 14,764ft in India's Ladakh region, became India's first Dark Sky Reserve in 2022, and visitor numbers jumped from roughly 3,000 a year five years ago to nearly 30,000 in 2024-25.
- The Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, benefits from dry air and minimal light pollution that yield suitable observing conditions on around 260 nights a year.
- The four astro-ambassadors earn about 25,000 rupees ($260; £193) a month charging 200 rupees per session, supplementing family homestay income; they say the work has ended the need to ask parents for money.
- Sonam Jorphail, head of outreach at the IAO, says tourism growth must be managed to protect Hanle's dark skies, noting that more visitors also bring more traffic, construction and artificial light.
- Longtime resident Dhuntup Chamchot, father of one ambassador and in his 70s, recalls when skies were so dark people slept outdoors; residents say Hanle's night sky is already changing.
Why it matters: Hanle's jump from roughly 3,000 to nearly 30,000 annual visitors within five years shows how a Dark Sky Reserve designation can spark rural astro-tourism, but the same growth now threatens the darkness that draws people in — risking the livelihoods of 24 locally-trained guides and the integrity of India's first Dark Sky Reserve.
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