Observatory Bosscha Lembang : The Sky Full of Star

I admired the big telescope in Observatory Bosscha. The telescope has a home, it has rounded roof and rounded building. It painted with white colour, not a clear white and somehow the rustic white give the impression of strong old building. I always love the building with no side, it rounded and give the feeling of I was really inside the building.

The Bosscha Observatory in Lembang

Star gazing supposed to be our every day life. When Edison lite the first lamp, the electricity was spreading all over the world. Until now, the bright light of the city had changed our life in the night. Once before electrification, we all had a blank night and shower of the star. Right now the light in the city has made the ocean of the star is rare sight of everyday life. On the night tour in Bosscha Observatory gave me excitement to observe the milky way.

The night tour of Bosscha has very short schedule in one year. The tour is operated by ITB university and it is part of astronomy education to society. In one year this trip is possible only in dry season when the sky is clear and on these month the tour only 8 days per month. So one year is only abut 40 tour is executed. You can see the schedule on this Bosscha website , and although it is said that you obliged to register first, it is also possible to enter without booked.

Located in Lembang, Bandung Bosscha Observatory not only the oldest observatory but also the only observatory in Indonesia.  The construction of observatory spend almost 5 yeas from 1923 until 1928 in the tea plantation owned by Karl Albert Bosscha. This observatory had trough the age of Dutch Indies, Japan Occupancy and also the Independence of Indonesia yet this observatory strongly gave contribution the science.

Visitor program consist three section, in the first section we watch in multimedia room that I missed than going to the biggest telescope of Zeiss and than then going to see the star via Bamberg telescope. Zeiss Telescope is the biggest telescope in Bosscha, it has their own room. And here they demonstrate how advance the 1923.

The room is round and we were only allowed stand on the side of this observatory. On the middle there were big telescope on the round stage. The building itself has mechanical to open and close and make 360 degree of movement. And to add more cool to this building, the floor can be move upward and downward. This telescope itself can strengthen the light of star, and this telescope specialize to observe twin star. And hey, I just knew that 60% of star has its paired and our sun isn't of them.

The giant telescope of Zeiss

Unfortunately, our naked eyes can't do star gazing at that telescope. Next we are inn queue to watch the star on Bamberg. While waiting, the sky was already dark and the clear sky give sight an ocean of milky way on the sky and the light of Bandung on the front of us. The student that guide us is very kind and welcome. They guide us to see the formation of Scorpio, Mars and other formation of star. 

Watch the star!

Workshop of Bosccha

The talented Cindy took the photo

Finally it's my turn to see the Saturn through this telescope and I got the feeling about how Galileo saw the planet. The ring planet is be seen very clear and it so beautiful. We were even could seen the moon of Saturn. The ring of the Saturn are consist with countless water ice and rocky material. In Roman Myth, Saturn is god of time, the generation, renewal and dissolution. Saturn as a lord of time remind us that our time is limited yet our past had give us wisdom and hope in the future!   Feel really blessed with whole of the trip.