KBRN, Jakarta: Although the Jakarta Planetarium has been closed for more than five years, its educational mission remains active. Through mobile initiatives and public outreach, the facility continues to engage young Indonesians in astronomy.

One of its flagship programs, Astronomy Goes to School, brings mini planetariums to classrooms across Jakarta, enabling students to explore the night sky, daily celestial motion, and various astronomical phenomena. Due to the high number of schools in the capital, the program currently reaches only 20 to 30 schools annually.

“We at the Jakarta Planetarium, under the Department of Culture, are still conducting astronomy activities despite the building being inactive and facing many limitations,” said Muhammad Rayhan, an astronomy educator at the Jakarta Planetarium and Observatory, on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

In addition to research on Hisab Rukyat and Rukyatul Hilal, the planetarium regularly hosts events such as Jakarta Astronomy Week and Night Picnic with the Planetarium. These programs remain vital tools for public science education, even while the main facility remains non-operational.

Rayhan emphasized that limited infrastructure has not diminished the planetarium’s commitment to spreading astronomical knowledge. A range of mobile education efforts and public events are designed to keep young people engaged with science and the cosmos.

With support from the local administration and Indonesia’s astronomy community, the Jakarta Planetarium is expected to resume full public service in the future. Until then, mobile outreach serves as a temporary solution.

Meanwhile, astronomy enthusiast Gunther described the planetarium as one of Indonesia’s most important educational centers for the next generation. He recalled that his childhood visit sparked a lifelong interest in galaxies, meteors, black holes, and quasars.

“When I was a kid, about 40 years ago, the planetarium was one of the most fun educational venues,” he said on Thursday.

Gunther genuinely hopes the Jakarta Planetarium will be revitalized with support from the private sector. He also called for the establishment of similar facilities in other major cities across Indonesia. ***