In a cold mountain village called Hanle in India, four young women help tourists look at the night sky. By day, the women work at their family homestays. At night, they set up telescopes and show visitors distant stars and planets.
Hanle is high in the mountains and has very clear, dark skies. In 2022, local leaders and science experts trained 24 young people, including these women, to study astronomy. Astronomy is the scientific study of stars, planets, and space.
Now, thousands of tourists visit the village every year. The women teach visitors how to find constellations and take photos of the Milky Way galaxy. At 11 p.m. every night, people in the village turn off their lights to keep the sky dark.
This new job gives the women more financial independence. They earn money from stargazing sessions and can save for things they want. However, local experts worry that too many tourists and new lights could slowly harm the dark skies.