Ladakh Hosts First-Ever Astro Tourism Festival in Leh (June 27–28, 2025).

National

The Union Territory of Ladakh organized its first Astro Tourism Festival from June 27 to 28, 2025, at the District Panchayat Resource Centre, Aglin in Leh, with the goal of promoting scientific awareness and boosting astro-tourism in the Himalayan region.


      - The two-day festival was jointly organized by the Department of Tourism, Ladakh and Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru (Karnataka), with additional support from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

     

     

Main Point :-   (i) The initiative aimed to highlight Ladakh as a prime destination for astro-tourism due to its unique environmental conditions—high altitude, dry weather, and low light pollution—which offer ideal settings for Milky Way and night sky observation under crystal-clear skies.

      (ii) Learning sessions were led by astrophysicists and experts from ISRO, IIA, and Kashmir University (Jammu & Kashmir, J&K). Talks and demonstrations were also held at Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, creating a hands-on experience for amateur astronomers and visitors.

(iii) The main attraction of the festival was the Night Sky Observation session at Leh Campus of Ladakh University, where attendees used telescopes to observe constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects, enhancing public engagement with astronomy.

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