[Auromarx] Lunar eclipse a big draw in Bandung, Jakarta

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Adisti Sukma Sawitri, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, Jakarta

Hundreds of Bandung residents flocked to the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, North Bandung, to catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse on Tuesday.

Observation activities were focussed at the Van Albada Center and aired live by TVRI state-run television station.

The eight Bosscha astronomers who conducted the observation said they were satisfied, although the telescopes were only effective 10 minutes into the peak of the total lunar eclipse at 5:37 p.m.

"We were left behind for 10 minutes because the moon was obstructed by clouds. But everything turned out well ... the weather was bright and we were very satisfied with the observations today," observatory head Taufik Hidayat told The Jakarta Post at the site Tuesday evening.

With traffic backed up one kilometer along the road leading to the observatory, astronomers were forced to share the Vixen telescope with visitors.

Observations were conducted atop the Van Albada Center by using two Celestron telescopes and one William Optics, measuring 20 cm and 7 cm in diameter respectively.

It was the second time astronomers had invited the public to an event and allowed it to broadcast live on TV, after the previous Mars full Moon phenomenon on Aug. 7 2003.

A Gegerkalong resident, Rinda, 23, came with six of her roommates by public bus to witness the spectacle.

"We're satisfied because the moon was very beautiful," said Rinda.

Meanwhile in Jakarta sky gazers could not hide their disappointment as smog clouded the rare phenomenon.

But visitors at Taman Ismail Marzuki planetarium in Central Jakarta could see the eclipse peak through four telescopes and on a big screen.

"I heard that it happens once in 18 years, so I came. Too bad there were not enough telescopes so we have to queue," said Solvi, a resident of Setiabudi, South Jakarta, who came with her five-year-old daughter Sheila.

Students in Depok, however, enjoyed the day as the Kebon Maen kindergarten, primary and junior high schools management changed their study time from the regular 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.- 8 p.m. so they could observe the total lunar eclipse.

"We implemented a contextual learning system. So the eclipse is our focus of study today," the kindergarten's curriculum supervisor Sumarti M. Thahir said, adding that the students were accompanied by astronomy experts from the University of Indonesia.

Planetarium staffed Widyaswitar said that the eclipse could help show air pollution levels in an area.

"The more red the sky is, the higher the air pollution level," he said.

Tags: lunar, eclipse, bandung, jakarta, indonesia, pollution

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Posted By auromarx to Auromarx at 8/29/2007 12:17:00 AM