In the Himalayas, local 鈥榓stro-ambassadors鈥� help protect India鈥檚 first dark-sky reserve
| Hanle, India
As a child, Splazer Angmo often gazed at the dome structure perched atop a hill in her village and wondered what it was. Her parents, part-time herders, were equally puzzled. The scientists who work in the village use it to look at stars, they told her.
Years later, sitting in a school classroom, she finally learned its name: telescope.
Now, she has her own telescope 鈥� a maroon, mobile instrument she sets up every evening as the village of Hanle transitions from golden dusk to a star-filled night. She is one of 25 villagers 鈥� two-thirds women 鈥� trained as 鈥渁stro-ambassadors,鈥� guiding tourists through the cosmos.
Why We Wrote This
In one of the darkest corners of the world, a group of 鈥渁stro-ambassadors鈥� are making a living off the night sky 鈥� and creating a bridge between science and tradition.
What began as an effort to preserve dark skies for the nearby Indian Astronomical Observatory has become something more: sustainable livelihoods for families who once depended entirely on herding pashmina goats and yaks. It is also helping revive interest in Hanle鈥檚 cultural heritage.
鈥淭he astro-ambassadors help us protect what makes this place irreplaceable,鈥� says Dorje Angchuk, engineer-in-charge of the observatory. 鈥淭hey ensure visiting tourists understand why dark sky preservation matters, and they enforce the norms essential to maintaining the reserve. This is an extraordinary story of coexistence where science and culture strengthen each other.鈥�
Stargazing transforms a village
Nestled between rusty-hued mountains in the cold Himalayan desert of Ladakh, close to China鈥檚 contested border, Hanle valley consists of six hamlets sitting at an altitude of nearly 15,000 feet. As night descends and villagers extinguish their lights, the Milky Way arcs starkly overhead, its stars burning with brilliant intensity against the darkness.
In 1993, Indian scientists identified this as one of Earth鈥檚 clearest observatory sites, with the valley鈥檚 skies ranking Bortle 1, the darkest classification possible. The Indian Astronomical Observatory installed the Himalayan Chandra Telescope 鈥� the dome that puzzled Ms. Angmo as a child 鈥� and several other research facilities to study the cosmos.
For years, tourists visiting Ladakh would drive to the observatory in hopes of getting to peek into the skies through these telescopes, disturbing the researchers, says Mr. Angchuk.
So, in 2022, when Hanle became India鈥檚 first dark-sky reserve 鈥� a designation that would impose stricter measures on both tourists and locals to preserve the night skies 鈥� scientists saw a dual opportunity. To help secure community buy-in for the reserve while also satisfying tourists, authorities and the observatory equipped locals with telescopes and trained them as stargazing guides.
鈥淚t was a conscious decision to train the local community so they could benefit from these skies through astro-tourism, while we continued our research,鈥� explains Mr. Angchuk, a native of Ladakh who played a crucial role in securing community support for the project.
Locals embraced the opportunity.
鈥淚t was an amazing experience to learn about the cosmos, to understand which planets are closer to Earth and more visible,鈥� says Ms. Angmo, who has since guided hundreds of clients through the night sky, charging about 200 rupees (roughly $2.25) a head.
The initiative has transformed the remote village, stemming the tide of rural migration as tourism businesses proliferate and revitalize the remote village鈥檚 economy. Most astro-ambassadors, including Ms. Angmo, operate their own homestays alongside their guiding work.
鈥淣ow, my husband doesn鈥檛 need to leave for work,鈥� she says, gesturing toward a group of tourists waiting for their turn at the telescope. 鈥淲hile I guide visitors through the stars, he runs the homestay with me.鈥�
Discovering Hanle鈥檚 history
Beyond income, the initiative anchors Hanle鈥檚 cultural identity. Observatory officials have encouraged astro-ambassadors to explore the astronomical knowledge embedded in Ladakhi folklore, and to reclaim this heritage.
鈥淥ur elders had a profound relationship with the stars,鈥� says astro-ambassador Padma Ishey. 鈥淭hey used celestial movements for timekeeping and directions.鈥�
Through conversations with village elders, he discovered little-known folk songs about long-forgotten constellations. 鈥淲e learned by science that these stars indeed appear in the seasons our ancestors relied on them,鈥� he says.
Tourists find this history deeply compelling.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen such a clear night sky,鈥� says Abhishek Dutta, a software engineer from Texas. 鈥淭his place is extraordinary. It exists in multiple time periods at once. One foot in tradition, one in modern science. The way they coexist is beautiful.鈥�
A 17th-century Buddhist monastery, its white walls gleaming above the valley, testifies to Hanle鈥檚 past as a silk route hub. The monks, known as lamas, say they believe that celestial movements determine auspicious timings for prayers and festivals, but this practice has been displaced by modern calendars and digital tools.
The astro-ambassador initiative has resonated so deeply that the monastery鈥檚 acting head, Nawang Tsoundu, volunteered to become one.
鈥淭he knowledge of stars is central to Buddhism, but this tradition has been fading,鈥� says Mr. Tsoundu. 鈥淒uring the day, I meditate and teach. At night, I guide tourists through the stars and share celestial knowledge with the monks. I want them to understand both the science and the tradition.鈥�
