Intense solar storm sparks uncommon aurora in Ladakh

13 May 2024 CW Team

The dark sky over parts of Ladakh was illuminated by a crimson glow, an unusual phenomenon known as a stable auroral red arc event, observed at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in the high Himalayas. This celestial display was attributed to powerful solar magnetic storms emitted towards Earth. Scientists from the Centre of Excellence in Space Sciences in India (CESSI), Kolkata, revealed that these solar storms, originating from the AR13664 region of the sun, had generated numerous high-energy solar flares, with some hurtling towards Earth at speeds reaching 800 km/s.

In the northern hemisphere, observers in Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, and Poland were treated to mesmerizing auroras or northern lights, which adorned the skies at higher latitudes. Enthusiasts eagerly shared their captures of these celestial dances on various social media platforms.

At the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, astronomers witnessed a remarkable sight as a red glow appeared on the northwest horizon around 1 am on May 11, persisting until early dawn. Stanzin Norla, an engineer at the reserve, recounted their fortunate experience of observing Aurora activities through their all-sky camera during routine telescope observations. He noted that a subtle red hue was discernible to the naked eye along the horizon, while a DSLR camera installed at the reserve captured the event in exquisite detail.

According to Stanzin, the spectacle unfolded from approximately 1 am to 3:30 am, with the sky transitioning from a deep red hue along the horizon to a softer pinkish tone later on. Dorje Angchuk, an engineer at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, characterized the event as a stable auroral red arc, a rare phenomenon gracing the skies above Ladakh.

Infrastructure Urban

11 Mar 2026

India Expands Semiconductor Training To 500 Institutions

Under the Chips to Startups programme of the India Semiconductor Mission, the Union minister responsible for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and IT reported notable progress in talent development. He indicated that over the past four years substantial steps have been taken towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. World-class EDA tools have been deployed in 315 academic institutions across the country to provide students with practical exposure to chip design. These EDA tools are supported by leading global firms and are accessible t..

Delhi Institutions Support India Semiconductor Mission

The Government of India has prioritised talent development through training, upskilling and workforce development under the Chips to Startups initiative of the India Semiconductor Mission, with officials noting progress in four years towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. Electronic design automation tools provided by Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens, Renesas, Ansys and AMD have been deployed in 315 academic institutions, enabling students to gain practical chip design experience. Chips have been fabricated and tested at the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali, a..

NHA Announces Winners Of NHCX Hackathon At IIT Hyderabad

The National Health Authority (NHA) has concluded the NHCX Hackathon under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to stimulate innovation around the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX). The winning teams presented their solutions at the NHCX Innovation Meet held at IIT Hyderabad during a two-day event in March 2026 that also served as the hackathon grand finale. The hackathon itself ran from 22 to 28 February 2026 and aimed to accelerate paperless, transparent claims processing across India. The event was organised with a range of ecosystem partners, including the Insurance Regulatory a..