Indonesia Hosts Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympics
Wednesday, 20 August, 2008 | 19:08 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Bandung :Indonesia will host the Second International Olympics of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Bandung and Lembang, West Java, on August 19 to 28. The Olympics was officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace today.


The Olympics secretary-general, Chatief Kunjaya, said Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo appointed Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) as the event coordinator. “The center of astronomy studies is located in Bandung, and we have the facilities for the games and the training, like the Bosscha observatory,” said Chatief, who is an astronomer from ITB.


Indonesia has sent two teams to the event, in which 24 countries will compete. The main Team A consists of Ady Suwardi (Soetomo High School, Medan), Eky Valentian Febriano (High School Number 3, Bogor), Esther Brigitta (Penabur 1 Christian High School, Jakarta), Mikha Benanta Purba (Taruna High School, Magelang), and Lorent Da Silva (Semesta High School, Semarang). The team is headed by Suryadi Siregar and Hesti Wulandari.


Meanwhile, Team B, the guest team, consists of Ridlo Wahyudi (Rembang State High School), Veena Salim (Methodic High School Number 3, Medan), Marshiella (High School Number 8, Jakarta), Amar Kusuma (Taruna High School, Magelang), and Ahmad Yudo Diponegoro (Taruna High School, Magelang). The team is headed by Mahasena Putra and Ikbal Arifyanto.


Some of them took part in last year’s National Science Olympics and others are top high school students. “We shortlisted 15 students out of the top 30 in March, and finally selected10 students in July, which we divided in two teams,” said Chatief.


Chatief hopes Indonesia once again will win the gold medal in this international event. In the previous astronomy competitions, Indonesia won three gold medals. Last year, Indonesia won one gold medal, two silver medals, one bronze medal, and one honourable mention from a similar event. In the International Astronomy Olympiad, Indonesia won one gold medal in 2004 and another one in 2007.


Around 95 participants, 41 team leaders, and 12 observers will take part in this year’s Olympics. The 24 countries which are competing are Indonesia, Iran, Burma China, Singapore, Thailand, India, Cambodia, Brazil, Poland, Lithuania, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Romania, Korea, Greece, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Nigeria.


Mexico, Cuba, Portugal, Czech, Laos, and The Philippines were going to participate but, “these countries had to postpone their participation due to the world oil price increase which raised the price of plane tickets as well,” said Chatief.


The participants will also attend a class taught by astronomer, Professor Ron Ekers from the CSIRO Australia National Telescope Facility. Ekers will present “The Big Bang, Black Holes, Pulsars, and Extraterrestrial Life” on August 25 at the Sasana Budaya Ganesha Hall in the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).


"There will also be a computer simulation on the galaxy and a demonstration of the astronomy competition system aided by information technology," Chatief added.

Adelheid Sidharta