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Hanle Observatory: Exploring the Universe in the Himalayas
Stargazing Paradise: Hanle Observatory Tour
Unveiling the Cosmos: Hanle Observatory in India
Hanle Observatory: India's High-Altitude Astronomy Hub
Exploring the Universe: A Guide to Hanle Observatory
Discover Hanle Observatory: Research & Stargazing in Ladakh
Secrets of the Cosmos: Inside Hanle Observatory
A Night at Hanle Observatory: Witnessing the Magic of the Stars
You Won't Believe What's Happening at Hanle Observatory

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The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is a high-altitude astronomy station located in Hanle, India and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Situated in the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,764 ft), the IAO is one of the world's highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes. It is currently the tenth-highest optical telescope in the world.

Location
The Indian Astronomical Observatory stands on Mt. Saraswati, Digpa-ratsa Ri, Hanle in the south-eastern Ladakh union territory of India. Accessing the observatory, located near the Chinese border (Line of Actual Control), requires a 250-kilometre-long (160-mile) ten-hour drive from Leh city, the headquarter of Leh district. Nyoma, 75 km northwest from Hanle, has an Indian military airbase.
History
In the late 1980s, a committee chaired by B. V. Sreekantan recommended that a national, large optical telescope be taken up as a priority project. The search for the site of the observatory was taken up in 1992 under the leadership of Arvind Bhatnagar. The scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics found the site at Hanle.

The first light was seen by the Observatory 2-metre telescope on the midnight hour between 26 September and 27 September 2000.

Hanle Dark-sky preserve
In September 2022, the area surrounding Hanle became India's first dark-sky preserve. The Hanle site is deemed to be excellent for visible, infrared and submillimeter observations throughout the year. Specifically the observation conditions yield about 255 spectroscopic nights per year, approximately 190 photometric nights per year and an annual rain-plus-snow precipitation of less than 10 cm. In addition, there are low ambient temperatures, low humidity, low concentration of atmospheric aerosols, low atmospheric water vapour, dark nights, and low pollution.[2] The preserve extends to the 6 hamlets of Hanle revenue village—Bhok, Dhado, Punguk, Khuldo, Naga, and Tibetan Refugee habitation within 1073 sq km Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in Changthang plateau. The northern, southern, eastern, and western extremities of the preserve are between 19.6 km and 22 km from the observatory.
The dark sky is important for the conservation of nocturnal animals and ecology. To minimize light pollution and to ensure dark skies, Hanle preserve has many restrictions such as lights being indoors only in certain places, mandatory light-blocking curtains on windows and doors, street light colors limited to yellow, no high-beam headlights on vehicles, no vehicle movements at night, and more.

The satellite link between the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), Bangalore, and Hanle was inaugurated by the then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on 2 June 2001. The Observatory was dedicated to the nation on 29 August 2001