15 astrophotographers all set for a star party

MANGALURU: As many as 15 visual observers and astrophotographers from across India are all set for a five-day star party hosted by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS) and AstroPhotography India (API) at Hanle in Ladakh from September 22.
“The group will enjoy the darkest skies possible in India through a combination of telescope and cameras at 14,000 feet altitude. The team has prepared a target list of 200 galaxies to be seen and 25 nebulae to be photographed and hoped that unseasonal clouds or adverse local weather phenomena may not play a spoilsport,” said Sudhash Natarajan, amateur astronomer, BAS.
Nihal S Amin, from Udupi and representing API, an amateur astrophotography showcase page on Instagram, told TOI: “There is nothing as thrilling as experiencing a pristine night sky. One may notice the Milkyway band just after crossing Nelamangala towards Bengaluru-Hassan road. But Hanle’s dark skies are overwhelming. It will disorient you so much that you will be unable to recognise some of the bright constellations that you usually see from Bengaluru. It is indeed a rewarding experience.”
Dorje Angchuk, of Hanle Dark SKY Reserve (HDSR), said the reserve in Ladakh is a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), and Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA). HDSR is one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infra-red, and gamma-ray telescopes and it is now going to serve as a focal point for boosting Astro tourism in India.
IIA is training the local community to act as tourist guides to the night sky, giving them access to telescopes for a limited time period as well as with material and advice to reduce light pollution towards the observatory, he said.
Of the 15 members, three are from Coimbatore, two from Delhi, one from Kolkata and nine are from Karnataka.
Keerthi Kiran, an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer as BAS said, “In this digital era where the photos are modified beyond recognition, the BAS team will attempt to observe the objects directly through their eyes and the telescope, which is not possible from Bengaluru. There is a lot of light pollution in Bengaluru and BAS members, passionate about the night sky, must go to the Himalayas in search of dark skies,” he said.