Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 01:48 PM UTC

Timau Observatory offers strategic edge in tracking space debris

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Sean Filo, Raka Adji

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Timau National Observatory in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), managed by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), offers a strategic geographic advantage for the global scientific community in monitoring space debris.

BRIN Space Research Center researcher Andre Pandie noted during an online astronomy discussion on Friday that the facility’s location near the equator provides a much clearer view of the sky, benefiting astronomers.

“Geostationary satellites, such as TV and communications satellites, line up directly above the equator. From Europe, these satellites appear low on the horizon,” Pandie explained.

He pointed out that observations from Europe require telescope light to travel through nearly twice as much atmosphere, unlike the clear, direct view from Indonesia.

“In Indonesia, that line of satellites passes almost directly overhead, making them much easier to observe,” he added.

Apart from its latitude, Pandie said, the Timau National Observatory offers a wide field of view due to its location in the Southern Hemisphere.

The operation of a 3.8-meter giant telescope at the observatory enables cross-observations with other astronomical facilities around the world, such as Switzerland’s Zimmerwald Observatory.

According to Pandie, intercontinental cooperation is vital because night falls at different times around the world, requiring continuous and uninterrupted satellite tracking.

Pandie expressed hope that the observatory will do more than generate an independent data catalog and instead serve as a concrete symbol of Indonesia’s active contribution to orbital safety through international collaboration.

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