Singalila National Park is an extremely popular spot in Eastern India. Located at an altitude of more than 7,000 feet above sea level and amazing views of the Himalayas, it’s a dream destination for mountain lovers. However, astrophotographer Soumyadeep Mukherjee visited this scenic spot for a different reason—the presence of a dark, Bortle 2 sky, which gave him the chance to capture breathtaking shots of the Milky Way and, most importantly, of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.
“The Milky Way, the comet, and the winter constellations, all being present during this time of the year, allowed me to document them together,” Mukherjee tells My Modern Met. Since this area has long been a favorite of astrophotographers, he tried portraying the night sky with a personal touch. “As I had already seen many nightscape images from the region, I knew what to expect. However, as night falls, familiar landscapes do not appear familiar anymore.”
To make the most of his time there, he hiked to some unknown places at night, where he was surprised by the views they offered. “Every curve of the mountain road offered a view different from the other, providing ample opportunities for a fresh photograph. Even walking a mere 100-200 meters [228-656 feet] from the popular places gave me a completely new perspective on things.”
However, nothing compared to the feeling of finally getting to photograph the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. “After seeing this comet on the back of my camera, I think my mind said, ‘I have finally done it,’” he recalls. “I have been trying to photograph the comet from my hometown (which is a heavily light-polluted city) for over three weeks during the peak of the comet and succeeded not even once. While on this tour, the comet had already lost much of its brightness and naked-eye visibility, but it still was very bright and looked amazing. And I thought even if I did not get another single image from the whole tour, it was already successful. I was nervous and excited at the same time. And when I finally could photograph it, I was so happy.”
To Mukherjee, one of the best parts of Singalila National Park is that provides an abundance of opportunities to shoot the night sky. At the same time, it is easily accessible to the general public. “This gave me a chance to share my love with a few more people, including a few tourists who joined us early for sunrise,” he says. “It is always a pleasure to share with other people what I love the most.”
Still, he worries about what this could mean for the dark sky status of the area. “I understand that more tourists logically follow growing hotels/homestays, but as an astrophotographer, I find it disappointing,” he admits.
Rather than gatekeeping the area, Mukherjee calls for protecting it so more people can experience its beauty. He says, “I feel that the local administration should take some necessary steps to preserve the dark sky of this location while encouraging more people to come to this place.”
Scroll down to see more of Mukherjee’s spectacular astrophotography. For even more, you can follow Soumyadeep Mukherjee on Instagram.
Astrophotographer Soumyadeep Mukherjee visited Singalila National Park in Eastern India to capture breathtaking shots of the night sky.
The dark, Bortle 2 sky gave him the chance to photograph the Milky Way and comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.
“The Milky Way, the comet, and the winter constellations, all being present during this time of the year, allowed me to document them together,” Mukherjee tells My Modern Met.
Since this area has long been a favorite of astrophotographers, he tried portraying the night sky with a personal touch.
“As I had already seen many nightscape images from the region, I knew what to expect. However, as night falls, familiar landscapes do not appear familiar anymore.”
To make the most of his time there, he hiked to some unknown places at night, where he was surprised by the views they offered.
Ultimately, though, nothing compared to the feeling of finally getting to photograph the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.
To Mukherjee, one of the best things about Singalila National Park is that it provides an abundance of opportunities to shoot the night sky.
The spot’s accessibility also gave him the opportunity to share his love for astrophotography with other photographers and tourists.
Still, he worries about what this could mean for the dark sky status of the area.
“I feel that the local administration should take some necessary steps to preserve the dark sky of this location while encouraging more people to come to this place.”
