INDONESIA AUGUST 2016
Activities after NASE Course Location: Surabaya Astronomy Club, Kebun ilmu- RUMAH ZAKAT , street. Simogunung barat tol 3/22 Surabaya. Contents of the activity: preparation of astronomical observation, telescope lecture, and working group making telescope handmade. Teachers taught: 21 campion's kids of Rumah Zakat organization. Dates: august,14, 2016 Teacher in Charge: Hammam Nasiruddin , Agus Siswanto
# THE STORIES 3rd after nase | 'Rumah Zakat' Just two days after we held the astronomy education in the Alkahfi Junior High School, we held another astronomical education in an event titled 'share smile week' which was initiated by social organizations, Rumah Zakat. Rumah Zakat is a charitable organization that engaged the management of zakat and other religious social activities. They also took care of the orphans and children from poor families. They call these children as 'champion’s kid'. These children received a scholarship every month, they are also trained to become independent, creative, and insightful. This is the second time we educate these children, some months ago, we have also been doing the same thing but with the different topic, the sun and the solar system. As a follow up, so this time we talked about how a safe way to observe the sun along with the workshop, how to make a simple telescope. The event began with the presentation about telescope, electromagnetic waves, visible waves and invisible waves, as well
as how telescopes work. Event followed by a simple telescope making workshop. For objective lenses, we use a secondhand lens copiers, secondhand binocular lens for eyepiece and for the telescope body, we use the pipe. Everything from recycled materials and are relatively easy to obtain. A total of 21 ‘champion’s kid’ participated in this activity, they are very enthusiastic because they had never followed this kind of activity. Starting from sawing the pipe, making holes of the diaphragm, painted black inner tube (pipe) - until their hand was covered by spray paint. This activity is done in groups, and produce two pieces of homemade telescope. Immediately after the telescope was made, the children try to see the distant objects, like the buildings, electrical tower, until mangoes from the neighbor's tree. They were a little bit confused, satisfied with their homemade telescope magnification, which far so intimately, but why the picture upside down ? Well, the telescope produces images that inverted indeed, for viewing the sky/space objects, the upside down image is not a problem because the stars, moon, and planets about to be seen from any side, keep interesting and don’t confuse our view. But when used to view the land objects, it would require inverting lens.
Because these activities are held during the day, then we can’t try to see the stars, moon and planets. The only object of the sky at noon is the sun. Viewing the sun directly is particularly dangerous because our eye has a lens that serves to absorb light and focused on the areas of the retina. Just as when we focus sunlight through a magnifying glass lens, then the shadow will be able to burn the paper quickly. Similarly will happen to our retina, when we look at the sun directly. Now, a series of telescopic lens produces lightgathering power that very strong, so even if for a moment we point to the sun, he was able to burn anything super fast, for it, see the sun behind the telescope is extremely dangerous. Then to observe the sun through a telescope safely is by projecting a shadow of the eyepiece with paper at a certain distance. The sky conditions less friendly at that time, some clouds blocked the sun. But the children don’t want to give up, they wait patiently for the sunlight among the clouds that move slowly. They cheered every the sun revealed behind the clouds. They were very impressed with this activity, and wanted us to educate them again next month with different topics, and they want to know more about rockets; how to make and how it works.
Well, I still remember how Prof. Rosa, Prof. Beatriz, and also Prof. Tomita taught me about evervesen rocket. I'll explain it to them next month. Maybe I would go with a couple of friends from my astronomical community who are familiar about making water rockets.