Jakarta, IO – The reason behind the establishment of the famed Bosscha Observatory more than a century ago cannot be separated from the condition of the night sky in the Lembang area, Bandung which was still free from light pollution in 1923.
Formerly known as the Bosscha Sterrenwacht, it was initiated by Karel Albert Rudolf (K.A.R.) Bosscha. Assisted by his brother, R.A. Kerkhoven, and an astronomer from the Dutch East Indies, Joan George Erardus Gijsbertus Voûte, Bosscha founded an association that would realize the idea of an observatory, per CNN Indonesia.
At a meeting at the Homann Hotel Bandung on September 12, 1920, the Dutch East Indies Astronomical Association (Nederlandsch-Indische Sterrenkundige Vereniging) was established with a vision to develop an astronomical observatory in the Dutch East Indies, and advance astronomy or space sciences. Karel Bosscha then agreed to become the main funder and promised to assist in the procurement of telescopes.
Two experts from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Hendra Agus Prastyo and Dhani Herdiwijaya, revealed that Lembang was also chosen due to its hilly terrain surrounded by tea plantations with a very clear sky, making it ideal for astronomical observations.
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In addition, it is also strategically located, covering most of the northern and southern skies, considering that only a few observatories in the world are located in the equator. (un)