The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is in the process of developing a technologically advanced observatory in Kupang district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province.
Head of the BRIN's Center of Space Research, Emanuel Sungging Mumpuni, said that the development of the astronomical facility is oriented toward creating a more suitable ecosystem for space research and helping astronomers observe celestial phenomena.
"NTT was chosen based on the results of a lengthy study by the astronomical community. The region is considered to offer an ideal sport for observation," he informed in a statement issued by BRIN here on Wednesday.
Mumpuni underlined that in the province, 66 percent of nights in a year are supportive of daily eight-hour observations.
According to him, the observatory is equipped with a modern telescope, whose lens spans 3.8 meters in diameter and which is similar to that of the James Webb Space Telescope.
He explained that BRIN's telescope, developed in collaboration with Japan's Kyoto University, is designed to assist astronomers in observing and studying transient outer space phenomena, such as supernovas and the crossing of asteroids.
"This is a great innovation that incorporates plenty of complex technologies, such as electronic systems and precision control. We also cooperated with a center for intelligent mechatronics research to ensure that our telescope can operate optimally and is accessible by future researchers," he said.
Furthermore, the researcher underlined that the observatory is designed to support astrophysics research under a variety of themes, such as astrometry, photometry, and time-domain astrophysics.
He further said that the astronomical facility is also projected to support research on national defense, specifically in relation to the protection of space assets and mitigation of geomagnetic disaster risk.
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Translator: Sean F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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