This image is from Nubra Valley, Ladakh, a once-pristine landscape neighboring India’s first International Dark Sky Reserve at Hanle. The composition juxtaposes timeless white sand dunes against a sky increasingly tarnished by rapid tourism and urban expansion. The prominent "city glow" on the horizon serves as a visual testament to how light pollution encroaches upon even the most remote sanctuaries. By documenting the visible loss of Milky Way detail compared to previous years, the photograph illustrates the fragile nature of our dark sky heritage and the urgent environmental impact of unchecked artificial light in Ladakh.
