Last week, when a rare auroral arc was visible after a severe solar storm in Hanle, it triggered a lot of interest in
sky watching
as an experience,” says Ramashish Ray, founder of Starscapes, a company dedicated to providing
astronomical experiences
across the country. In today’s world, where adventure seekers seek more immersive experiences from their vacations, a new trend in
astro tourism
has emerged, captivating the attention of tourism departments and private companies alike.
In fact, starting May 31-June 2, academicians, scientists, astro photographers and stargazers from different cities will assemble at George Everest in Mussoorie for Nakshatra Sabha – the campaign dedicated to promote astro tourism. Apart from this, there are many small-duration programmes and itineraries being planned for the growing community of stargazers in India.
Skygazing sessions often include three parts - basic information on skygazing, observations through a telescope and some videos related to astronomy
As per Astroport
Starscapes Crowd at Mahindra Madikeri
‘Space is now cool for people’
An obvious increase in the number of tourists interested in
stargazing
was observed post pandemic. “Space is now cool for people. Events like ISRO’s Chandrayaan have not only piqued interest in space, but have suddenly made it a cool topic for many. We have been curating astronomy experiences for more than six years now, earlier we would get queries from students, photographers and only those who would have some information and interest in astronomy. Now, everyone wants to witness sky watching as an experience.”
Those visiting Ladakh can check out two-three hours astronomy sessions by Aseem Foundation, which is working to develop and promote Astro Tourism in Ladakh( Pic: Nakshatra Sabha)
Stargazing programmes and astronomical events include orientation to night sky, sky map reading, constellation watch and other activities, lists Astroport, which has established stargazing and space experience centers at selected hotels and resorts across India
Astro parties, expeditions and workshops
It’s not just stargazing, the concept of astro parties is fast becoming popular. with live music, bonfire and astronomy tambola. l BYOT (Build Your Own Telescope) and magnetism session gives one the opportunity to create their optical masterpiece and understand the science of magnetism l Rocketry workshop allows one to build and launch rockets l Sun show and spectroscopy sessions explore the star through state-of-the-art solar filters l Rocketry and space vehicle DIY workshops help one learn to design and launch rockets that soar towards the stars l And as night falls, you can explore the fascinating history of timekeeping in ‘telling time over Time – the history of time telling
— Details on astro parties by Starscapes
Earlier we would get queries from students, photographers and only those who would have some information and interest in astronomy. Now, everyone wants to witness skywatching as an experience
Ramashish Ray, founder of Starscapes
Popular destinations for stargazing experiences