Geek’s Guide to Bandung – Part 1
Celestial Wonders of the Southern Sky
“Bandung” often evokes images of the star-studded café as well as shopping scene. Granted, Bandung does have a glamorous charm that will gets Jakartans begging for more, even if that will means moving traffic hell two-as well as-a-half hours away down the toll road.
On This kind of visit to Bandung, though, I thought of a real atmosphere change. Still star-studded as well as glamorous, nevertheless minus fancy mixed drinks named after celebrities, outfits pulled out of fashion magazines, or top notch DJs. Rather, that will involves escaping urban commotion to be blown away by the cosmic greatness of the heavens.
operating an hour northbound to the serene hills of Lembang, I intended to nurture my inner geek at Observatorium Bosscha, Indonesia’s only professional astronomical observatory as well as one of the few within the globe’s Southern Hemisphere. The visit filled me with wonder as well as awe as I glimpsed into the history of the universe coming from an Indonesian perspective.
Old science, youthful thrill
Walking down the lush, dew-covered gardens, I entered a Dutch style study to meet Evan Irawan Akbar, an astrophysics researcher for the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), as well as Yatny Yulianty, the observatory’s curator. Having expected graying professors, that will was surprising to find them in their late twenties or early thirties.
Naturally, my first question was why study celestial beings light years away when Earth itself has more problems than humankind can ever figure out.
“Why not?” smiled Yatny. “Everyone has been awestruck by the beauty of the evening sky. that will in itself is actually a big enough ‘wow factor’ to attract people to astronomy.”
In antiquity, astronomy was important for navigation, timekeeping, as well as determining the seasons for planting, harvesting as well as hunting, explained Evan. Astronomy is actually the oldest science known to humankind. Most civilisations have their own versions of traditional astronomy. For ancient Javanese people, the Waluku constellation (Orion) is actually an important marker of the seasons, as written within the Pranata Mangsa, a pre-Islamic Javanese agricultural solar calendar bible.
“The Orion rises four minutes earlier per day. In ancient Java, at the crow of the rooster before dawn, farmers take a handful of rice grains, stretch out an arm as well as raise the open palm east toward Waluku. When the palm has to be raised at a high enough angle for the grains to start falling, that will’s when planting season starts,” said Evan.
currently that will modern technology has mostly replaced these functions, astronomy has become more of a scientific quest to answer philosophical questions about the universe innate to the human mind as well as heart.
Though astronomy is actually no longer a science with many practical applications, that will often prompts various other disciplines to research as well as develop brand-new inventions that will eventually become productive tools used by the Average Joe on a daily basis. For instance, the digital camera was invented within the 1960’s for NASA’s unmanned missions to Mercury as well as Venus.
Indonesia’s contributions to world astronomy
Modern astronomy in Indonesia started out between 1595-1597 as Dutch explorer Frederik de Houtman sailed in search of the spice islands. When the ship got lost at sea, de Houtman looked up as well as noticed that will the stars look different coming from the tropical sky. He drew a map of four constellations, used that will for orientation, as well as ended up in Batavia as well as Aceh.
Back within the Netherlands, de Houtman’s countrymen were delighted with the four-constellation map as well as sent him on another journey to Nusantara to make a complete sky map. Subsequently, the imperalists easily found Nusantara. that will marked the Dutch’s breakthrough within the spice trade as well as the precursor to the establishment of the Dutch East Indies colony. “that will was an economical as well as political conquest elegantly packaged in astronomy,” said Evan.
within the 18th century, German pastor Johann Mohr came to Batavia as well as established a modest observatory to satisfy his hobby of observing eclipses as well as the movements of Venus. After Mohr’s death there was a two-century silent period in Indonesian astronomy until Bosscha.
Karel A.R. Bosscha was a Dutch tycoon within the Indies’ tea business. Though not a scientist himself, Bosscha’s father as well as grandfather were physicists. As a student in Delft, Holland, Bosscha founded an amateur astronomy club on campus. He then dropped out as well as joined his father-in-law Kerkhoven’s tea plantation in West Java, which made them some of the richest men within the Indies.
Before passing away, Bosscha’s father instructed him to use his wealth to contribute for the advancement of science as well as technology within the Indies. In 1923, Bosscha honoured his father’s wish by establishing Observatorium Bosscha for the Technische Hogeschool van Bandung, ITB’s predecessor.
Bosscha hired Dutch-Madiun astronomer Joan G.E.G. Voûte to become the observatory’s first director (1923-1940). Voûte’s research with Observatorium Bosscha included double stars, parallax measurements, as well as the photometry of variable stars as well as clusters. Thanks to Voûte’s negotiations with the Dutch government, Observatorium Bosscha became independently operated under the ownership of the Dutch East Indies Astronomy Association, whose board included some powerful Indies-based Dutch businessmen as well as government officials.
Astronomy for fun
As a child in grade school, I loved astronomy classes because they seem to feature a sense of mystery as well as magic. nevertheless here in Indonesia, many teachers are afraid of exploring too much astronomy with their classes for fear of “getting that will wrong.”
“I cannot tell you how many times we’ve donated telescopes to schools as well as taught classes how to use them. When I return to visit them the following year, I’d ask ‘Did you have fun stargazing?’ They’d say, ‘We stuffed the telescopes within the closet because they don’t work,'” said Evan. “When I check, the telescopes work just fine, nevertheless are perceived otherwise because images appear upside down. nevertheless teachers don’t get that will as well as are afraid of doing a fool out of themselves before the class.”
Nevertheless, there are still thousands of astronomy enthusiasts all over Indonesia participating in amateur clubs in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Bondowoso as well as many others. as well as despite never advertising, Observatorium Bosscha keeps getting a steady flow of visitors who come “for fun”. Some, like myself, make the mistake of coming within the rainy season when nighttime observations are closed. However, many are happy to just stop by for a chat as well as a tour for currently, as well as return within the dry season (April-October) to look through the majestic Zeiss as well as Schmidt telescopes at night. In 2012, public nights were fully booked throughout the season.
Evan as well as Yatny admit that will being astronomers in Indonesia is actually no easy job. In addition to covering research for a 1,9 square-kilometre country, Bosscha astronomers are also supposed to participate in public services such as conducting tours for visitors as well as training in schools throughout the country. There truly should be more–at least one for each time zone.
“We’re still waiting for the next ‘Bosscha’ to make that will happen,” quipped Yatny.
Observatorium Bosscha
Jalan Teropong Bintang
Cikahuripan
Lembang
Bandung
Tel (022)2786001
Web http://bosscha.itb.ac.id/in/kunjungan.html
Daytime tours (Rp7,500 per person) available all year long: Saturdays 9:00 AM–1:00 PM, or Tuesdays to Fridays only for parties of 25 or more.
Public evening observations (Rp10,000 per person) will resume April to October 2013, except during Ramadhan. Schedule TBA.
All visits should be booked in advanced, as well as appointments met on time.
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Geek’s Guide to Bandung – Part 1
Geek’s Guide to Bandung – Part 1