<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131128/637234a39c7e80680e0c4944jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="900"/>It is only when a people start worrying about their future that they strive for betterment. Contrary to what many negativists think, Nepal does have a future. We just don't know what kind of future it is.And that is where asstrologers come in: to provide an essential service by divining what the coming years may hold so that Nepal’s politicians can peer into the future and get history to repeat itself.In being able to prophesy the future, we lag behind our neighbours India (the world’s leader in fortune-telling) and China (the global fortune-cookie superpower). It is in Nepal’s geo-strategic interest to be able to predict what will happen the day after tomorrow, or to be more specific, on 20 November.After all, Prime Minister Deuba pushed the election date by two days not at the request of the Election Commission, but on advice from Asstrologer General Suresh Rijal. That is the same soothsayer who told Brave Lion he will be prime minister seven times. Two more to go.Nations, too, have horoscopes. And in these uncertain times it is good to know what is pre-ordained, so that we can all sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that what will be, will be, and there is nothing we can do about it. Nepal’s horoscope is Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information, and we reprint it below in the strictest confidence:‘With the Moon in the Seventh House, Jupiter aligned with Mars, and the current Libra-Aries opposition identical to the placement of those constellations during the Peloponnesian War of 431 BC when the plague struck Athens and the Third Punic War when Rome sacked and sowed Carthage with salt, war and pestilence are probable. Luckily, a Neptune-Uranus conjunction on 20 November means that nothing can go wrong, because nothing is going on.’When politics get uncertain, Nepal’s leaders have often relied on Indian goodmen like Co-Pilot Baba and Shree 3 Ravi Shankar to safeguard their future. Not surprisingly, it is the atheist Communist parties who mostly rely on these consultants to appease the planets.Maobuddy leader Comrade Awesome often ODs on the opiate of the asses: worshipping water buffaloes, sacrificing black goats, and engaging the services of Tantric voodoo consultants to cast spells on rivals.All the nine planets are in alignment with PKD’s constellation, so it will be smooth sailing for him after the elections. However, the James Webb Space Telescope has found another solar system 300 light years away, so those new planets may throw the predictions off.In no way is Nepal a failed state, we are a fatalist state. This is why Kathmandu is the venue for the Asian Astrologers’ Convention, even though they are waiting for the planets to align for the date and time to be set. Those planning a government reshuffle, elections, or stage a coup d’etat should book seats in advance.The conference will determine whether Nepal’s leaders should adopt Vastu or Feng Shui when greeting Indian or Chinese leaders. Ass’s advice: face north while meeting the Chinese, and hide under the table when the Indians come.

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Nepal’s horrorscope

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101124/636b71ff9c7e80680e060100jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>In 2016 National Geographic selected the Sagarmatha National Park as the top six destinations to watch the night sky. Above, light from Gokyo guest houses compete with starlight. Photo: JEFF DAI/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC</figcaption></figure>In 2016, National Geographic listed Sagarmatha National Park as one of the world’s five best stargazing sites on the planet. The magazine used a photograph by Jeff Dai of Gokyo by night, showing stars but also the glare of lights from guest houses (above).The publicity drew attention to what mountaineers, trekkers and Himalayan villagers had known all along – that the region below Mt Everest has great astrotourism potential because it is located far from any big city, and it is above the dust and haze.“Our remoteness is our resource,” says tourism expert  Gyan Nyaupane, a professor at Arizona State University. “Instead of trying to be like the West, we should preserve what we have, including the darkness of our night sky. If we want quality tourism, we must determine what we can offer that is better than others can. We must create a niche for ourselves.”Indeed, Nepal’s darkness could be its unique selling point. To protect the Himalayan night sky from light pollution, tourism experts say, the country should take steps to limit illumination and design outdoor light fixtures in such a way that they do not outshine the constellations.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepal-by-night/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal by night</a>, Anil Chitrakar<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101124/636b72029c7e80680e060101jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>A study by Nyaupane and his students found that stargazers are also interested in other nature-based activities such as trekking, rafting, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/ever-gone-wildlife-trekking-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">observing wildlife</a>, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=2341#.XjKKBDIzbIU">birdwatching</a>, and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=468#.XjKKSDIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nature photography</a>. Nyaupane emphasizes, “Since a large segment of tourists visiting Nepal are nature-based tourists, astrotourism adds significant value to our existing tourism products.”Park offices, army barracks, and scattered settlements are the only sources of artificial light within Nepal’s national parks, but the night sky can also be polluted by excess illumination from nearby cities and villages in the buffer zones. Even national parks like Chitwan can benefit if tourists know they can go on safari by day and stargaze by night. Because Nepal has been late in electrifying rural areas, it may be easier to encourage ecologically sustainable lighting that creates less glare.The world has changed rapidly in the last century and many of the things we once took for granted are now precious and dwindling resources -- like breathable air, unpolluted water, and the diversity of plants and animals in our forests and fields. Now, we are in danger of losing the darkness of the night.Read also:<a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4568#.XjKJxDIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bird country</a>, Alok Tumbahangphe<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Conservation-and-tourism-Chitwan-National-Park,2957" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Conservation and tourism</a>, Kristjan Edwards<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101124/636b72059c7e80680e060102jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The view of the heavens once prompted awe and wonder at creation, and humility at our place in the universe. It inspired artistic expression and led to the development and flourishing of astronomy and astrology, but it is now unavailable from much of the planet.The Italy-based Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute says 80% of the earth’s landmass suffers from light pollution, and for 99% of people in Europe and the United States, the night sky is obscured by artificial lighting.People are now travelling across the world in pursuit of dark skies. Identifying this as a top tourism trend in 2019, premier travel publisher Lonely Planet wrote: ‘Across the planet, travellers are now seeking out the world’s last-remaining dark skies where they can get a clear, unpolluted view of the stars.’In 2001, the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), which works to protect the night skies for present and future generations, began to offer certification to national parks around the world in recognition of their effort to preserve the dark sky.Certification has not meant eliminating illumination: measures include making sure essential lighting points downwards  to where it is needed, eliminating upward leakage and thereby also reducing energy wastage.The IDA has so far certified 77 parks, most of them in remote areas of the US and Europe, boosting astrotourism. Many of the Dark Sky Parks have set up observatories so as to add value to the astrological experience on offer.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/innovations-in-nepal-tourism-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Innovations in Nepal's Tourism Industry</a>, Siddharth Inc.<h2>Outnumbering the stars</h2><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101124/636b72089c7e80680e060103jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="998"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>2020 saw the start of a program to launch thousands of new, low-orbit satellites to enable faster global internet access. The creation of an American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, SpaceX Starlink satellites could soon outnumber the stars in the night sky. Amazon and other tech companies are also reaching into space for better satellite communications.However, because of the lower orbit of these satellites, they are much more visible from earth at night as they reflect sunlight. SpaceX itself plans to have 12,000 of these in space by the middle of the decade. One astronomer’s projection of what this might look like from earth is dizzying: lots of tiny bright lights zipping across a firmament that was once deep and still.Tens of thousands of these reflective objects would outnumber the approximately 9,000 stars that are visible to the naked eye in a natural dark sky. And even when satellites die, they continue to orbit the earth as space debris.These new, highly visible satellites have already begun to mar astrological observations and scientists worry that their presence will impact on our ability to understand the physical universe beyond the stratosphere. SpaceX has responded to these concerns by giving the underside of some of its satellites a dark coating, but it has yet to be seen to what extent this will remedy the problem.Astronomers find that part of the difficulty is that legislation has not kept pace with technology. There are no national or international regulations on sky pollution or protections of astronomical research.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/it-is-all-about-it-in-nepal,3887" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It's all about IT</a>, Sahina Shrestha<h2>Photographing the night sky</h2><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101124/636b720b9c7e80680e060104jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>One of the world’s foremost photographers of the night sky says Nepal is the best place on the planet to see the stars and to take pictures of them.Ukrainian photographer Yevhen Samuchenko has been to Nepal three times to explore remote locations to take night pictures, and finds Langtang to be one of the most picturesque places for night sky views.“I am impressed by the magnificent mountains and landscapes, as well as the opportunity to observe the clear starry sky of the Himalaya without the light pollution from big cities,” Samuchenko says.Samuchenko took the photos featured above during a trek of Langtang valley in 2017, after pre-selecting the exact point for the shoot during the day and experimenting with different lenses.“For this picture, I settled on the fisheye lens, which allowed me to effectively compose the Gosainkunda lake and the foreground. I dedicated it to the memory of my father and called it the ‘the calmness of eternity’,” says Samuchenko who used an exposure time of 46 seconds at F3.5, ISO2500, 10mm  of his Nikon D5200 with a Tokina 10-17 fisheye.Gosainkunda Calmness of Eternity has won Samuchenko several wards including runner up for the CNN Travel Photographer of the Year 2019, which had 20,000 entries from 140 countries. The photo was also exhibited this month at the London Science Museum, which has named Samuchenko Science Photographer of the Year.Milkyway above the Ocean of Clouds was exhibited in London by the Royal Photographic Society in 2018.Adds Samuchenko: "I like night photos for their slow pace. You can break away from the bustle of the day, and the long exposure does not interfere with the contemplation of the starry sky. Watching the majestic night sky makes me feel like a small particle of the Universe, merging into a single whole with it.”<a href="http://q-l-n.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">More photographs of the night sky</a> by Yevhen Samuchenko<h2>Wildlife needs darkness, and so do we</h2>Plants and animals depend on the day-and-night cycle of light and darkness. The darkness of the night enables countless species to rest, reproduce, feed, and hide from predators. Artificial lighting, including clouds brightened by reflection, illuminate areas far beyond the direct source of light. This impacts behaviours of animals essential to their survival. Scientists are only now beginning to understand the severe effect that artificial lighting has had on biodiversity since the industrial revolution began 200 years ago.Human beings, like other animals, are guided by circadian rhythms. Research shows that the intrusion of light into the night correlates to an increased risk of health problems including obesity, diabetes, depression, sleep disorders, and certain forms of cancer.

Nepal’s other attraction: the night sky

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151124/636a66e49c7e80680e0599adjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/><figcaption>Photo : SANGHAMITRA SUBBA</figcaption></figure>Rajendra Joshi, an irrigation engineer by profession but astrologer through sheer curiosity (above), always carries a small panchang astrological chart in his back pocket.The calendar depicts the five limbs of astrological significance: tithi (lunar day), vaar (day of the week), karan (half a lunar day), nakshatra (constellation) and yoga (the distance between the sun and the moon). Astrologers need the book to calculate horoscopes and birth charts. And Joshi says they tell a person’s past, present future.Joshi’s co-workers are always lining up for free astrological consultations at the Irrigation Department. Rajendra is the nephew of the famous royal astrologer Mangal Raj Joshi and comes from a long line of soothsayers whom the kings consulted before every important decision.But the line of practising astrologers in the Joshi family ended when Mangal Raj passed away in 2005. Thereafter, no one in the clan showed any interest in astrology, except Rajendra.Growing up, he dabbled in everything he could get his hands on and later settled for a career as an irrigation engineer specialising in hydroponic agriculture. But even while in college in India, he used his holidays back home in Patan to learn from his uncle how to calculate planetary alignments in constellations and to read birth charts.Joshi even coded a computer program to help his uncle plot planets faster.“I don’t really know why astrology in particular interested me. But I was always eager to learn and this was just something else I could learn,” says Joshi, who does not make forecasts because he says he does not know enough.A birth horoscope is a snapshot of the alignments of the planets at the moment of birth, Joshi explains. But considering geolocation — how days are shorter in winter and longer in summer, the longitude, latitude and degree of tilt of the earth, etc — changes the distance from the Earth to the other planets.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=113#.XftD89UzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adjusting Nepal time</a>, Abha Eli Phoboo<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16141#.XftD-9UzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phone-in to have your future foretold</a>, Sabhyata TimsinaSince the advent of SkyVision, software that helps astrologers pinpoint planetary alignments, the trade seems to be more sophisticated and in Joshi’s words, “more accurate.”SkyVision is handy because many Nepali families abroad ask Joshi to make birth charts for their newborn, and since he  specialises in incorporating geolocation, he is in high demand in the diaspora.<h2>What the planets have in store for Nepal</h2>A Nepali astrologer who shot to fame for his accurate predictions is Santosh Vashistha, general secretary of the World Astro Federation International Committee, who has been featured in the international media. Vashistha has a hefty price tag of $125 per session, but predicts Nepal’s future for free.Like people, countries also have birth charts and horoscopes. Nepal is a Scorpio because its birth chart was created the day <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6592#.XftGKtUzbIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prithvi Narayan Shah</a> declared Nepal a country on 25 September 1768. By examining the positions of the planets on that day, astrologers say they can predict the nation’s fortunes.Vashistha predicted that Nepal would encounter a grave disaster in 2015. And sure enough, there was a deadly earthquake and a ruinous economic blockade. But he says the country’s fortunes are turning. On 16 February 2020 Saturn is entering Aquarius, which portends good news.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151124/636a66e79c7e80680e0599aejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="407" height="500">Vashistha says, “From the beginning of the next year and for the next four or five years, Nepal will become more economically prosperous. The country  will see an increase in development, too.”Economists at the National Planning Commission seem to agree.Read Also:<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=38061&amp;preview_nonce=012fb23553&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal in the 2020s,</a> Sewa Bhattarai<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=38073&amp;preview_nonce=5c5e53a600&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How will Nepal develop in the next decade,</a> Sonia Awale

A future written in the stars

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