Dark Sky India Initiative

Dark Sky India was started by Ranaranvirsing Rajput, an enthusiast deeply passionate about stargazing and astronomy. His journey began with a telescope gifted by his father — a gift that opened the window to a completely new world. Every weekend, he would travel nearly 100 kilometres outside Mumbai to clearer skies, just to catch a glimpse of Saturn’s rings or Jupiter’s moons.

However, he soon realised that accessing accurate information on celestial events was difficult. Many online sources were incorrect or misleading, and several young astronomy lovers faced the same challenge. Encouraged by his physics teacher, he founded the Stargazing Forum, inviting students who shared his curiosity about the cosmos. The group would gather on dark nights, observing the skies and sharing knowledge.

But another major obstacle stood in the way — light pollution. The increasing brightness of city lights made sky observation difficult and highlighted an environmental issue that needed immediate attention.

Determined to find a solution, he created the DarkSky Initiative, a website featuring educational videos, resources on astronomy, and information about how artificial lighting affects sky visibility. Building on this vision, he launched DarkSky India — a national awareness platform that combines astronomy, environmental science, and community participation. You access the website from here ( https://darkskyindia.com/)

Today, DarkSky India:

  • Shares educational videos and charts explaining the effects of artificial lighting on ecosystems and astronomical data.

  • Allows users to report their night-sky observations and light pollution levels, creating a crowdsourced database for sky-brightness analysis.

  • Conducts school workshops on responsible lighting practices like shielding, proper angles, and wavelength selection.

What began as a small club of nine students has grown into a platform with dozens of sky reports and hundreds of visitors, inspiring more people to protect the night sky. DarkSky India continues to work toward restoring the beauty of natural darkness, reducing light pollution, and helping communities reconnect with the stars.