Dorje Angchuk- a Ladakh-based engineer, has become the only Indian Honorary Member of the International Astronomical Union, along with ten others from around the world, joining a select list of 20 international experts.
- Dorje Angchuk of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics is also the first Indian to bag the position in the prestigious body.
- This honour is meant to officially recognise those individuals who have significantly contributed to the progress of astronomical research and culture in their country.
- This recognition by the International Astronomical Union is for ‘his passionate promotion of astronomy in the Ladakh region, through his excellent astrophotography’.
- Angchuk is the Engineer in charge of the IIA’s Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh. But his involvement in astronomy is much more than that.
- Ladakh is probably the only location in India that still has access to dark skies. Dark skies have now been recognised as a part of humanity’s heritage, and many Dark Sky Sanctuaries have come up across the world to help preserve the night skies for future generations.
About International Astronomical Union
- The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the foremost international association of professional astronomers and is over 100 years old.
- It has more than 13000 individual members and 82 national members, including India.
