Isnin, 25 Jun 2012

Pengalaman saksikan lintasan Planet Zuhrah

Oleh Hasrulraizan
 Haji Julaihi Haji Lamat bercakap mengenai lintasan Planet Zuhrah.


 Aksi kalangan yang tidak melepaskan peluang menyaksikan fenomena itu.


 Pelajar-pelajar Pusat Tingkatan Enam Katok tidak melepaskan peluang menyaksikan fenomena yang hanya akan berlaku lagi pada 2117 nanti iaitu lintasan Zuhrah di antara Bumi dan Matahari kelmarin. - Gambar oleh Hasrulraizan


 Planet Zuhrah (tompok hitam), yang merupakan planet kedua terdekat dengan matahari dan kedua terkecil dalam definisi Sistem Suria terbaru kelihatan melakukan lintasan di hadapan cakera matahari kelmarin. Fenomena yang jarang-jarang berlaku itu telah menarik minat para ahli astronomi serata dunia dan orang ramai untuk menyaksikan kejadian yang mungkin merupakan kesempatan terakhir kita melihatnya sepanjang hayat. - AFP
 
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 6 Jun - Satu pengalaman yang tidak mungkin dapat dilupakan dalam hidup kerana berpeluang menyaksikan lintasan Planet Zuhrah di depan cakera Matahari ketika berada tepat di antara Bumi dan Matahari di negara ini pada pagi hingga tengah hari ini, tatkala menurut perkiraan pakar astronomi, fenomena seumpamanya hanya akan berlaku pada Disember 2117 dan Disember 2125.

Zuhrah mula dapat dilihat melintasi depan cakera Matahari dari Bumi di Negara ini pada pukul 6.13 pagi dan terus dapat dilihat sehinggalah ia mula keluar dari kawasan antara Bumi dan Matahari pada pukul 12.45 tengah hari ini.

Memandangkan melihat matahari tanpa penapis cahaya boleh membahayakan mata dan boleh menyebabkan kebutaan, satu-satunya pilihan terbaik bagi rakyat dan penduduk di negara ini untuk tidak ketinggalan menyaksikan fenomena unik yang kebetulan berlaku dalam jangka hayat manusia ketika ini berkenaan ialah mencerap bersama Bahagian Geodetik, Jabatan Ukur di Pusat Tingkatan Enam (PTE Katok).

Bahagian berkenaan telah menyediakan tiga teleskop besar jenis optik yang dipasang alat penapis cahaya matahari khusus dengan dua daripadanya berjenama Celestron dan satu lagi Meade LX200GPS, sambil beberapa pegawai dan kakitangannya berada dekat dengan teleskop-teleskop berkenaan, bersedia menjawab pertanyaan orang ramai mengenai fenomena unik itu.

Sementara itu Persatuan Astronomi Brunei Darussalam (PABD) menyediakan sebuah teleskop kecil yang disambungkan kepada kamera DSLR yang membolehkan orang ramai menyaksikan fenomena lintasan berkenaan melalui skrin kamera berkenaan.

Bagi mereka yang ingin melihat fenomena unik yang jarang-jarang berlaku dapat dilihat dari Bumi itu dalam bentuk yang lebih besar, Bahagian Geodetik turut menyambungkan salah satu teleskop besarnya ke Projektor (OHP) yang memaparkan imej lintasan itu ke atas dinding di salah sebuah bilik persidangan di PTE Katok berkenaan.

Menariknya lagi, orang ramai turut berpeluang mendengarkan penerangan lebih lengkap mengenai fenomena berkenaan dari Ketua Unit Astronomi, Hala Kiblat, Hidrografi, Jabatan Ukur, Haji Julaihi Haji Lamat.

Antara lain, beliau menjelaskan bahawa fenomena itu memberi peluang berharga buat para pakar astronomi untuk membuat perkiraan lebih tepat mengenai planet khususnya Planet Zuhrah berkenaan.

Lintasan Zuhrah berkenaan berlaku dalam corak yang berulang setiap 243 tahun, dengan transit berlaku dua kali dalam tempoh lapan tahun, dan dipisahkan oleh tempoh masa yang agak panjang iaitu 121.5 dan 105.5 tahun.

Kali terakhir ia boleh dilihat di Negara ini adalah pada lapan tahun yang lalu iaitu 2004, dan hanya akan berlaku dan boleh dilihat dari Negara ini pada Disember 2117 nanti iaitu lebih kurang 105.5 tahun dari sekarang.
- Media Permata. Khamis, 7 Jun 2012.

Brunei to witness Venus transit across the sun today

Wednesday, June 6, 2012
FROM 6.13am to 12.45pm today, Brunei will be seeing an astronomical phenomenon that will only occur again in 2117.

To commemorate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of witnessing the transit of Venus, the Survey Department under the Ministry of Development will be hosting a showcase of telescopic sightings, screens and briefings on the phenomenon today at the Katok Sixth Form Centre (PTE Katok).

A transit of Venus takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk.

Astronomy Unit Hj Julaini Hj Lamat said what made the event special was that it would occur on various gap years that could range from eight to 200 years.

He noted that the orbit of Venus changes at certain periods, which would lead the planet within telescopic visibility of the Earth.

Hj Julaini said that the planet will be seen as a small dot when seen through enhanced vision equipment. 

He advised caution, however, for the spectators of the event.

"For those using their own telescopes or binoculars, it is important that they have appropriate filters because if they don't then they could burn their eyes due to the enhancement of light," he said. 

"It is fine if you look at it normally with eye protection but through telescopes, people must be careful."

The viewing at PTE Katok will touch on the educational aspect of the rare moment in history. Those interested in knowing more and witnessing the transit of Venus are welcome to join the showcase at PTE Katok today from 6.13am to 12.45pm, or the entire duration that Venus could be seen traversing the sun from the Sultanate.

Meanwhile, Radion Televisyen Brunei last night reported that the Survey Department also observed a partial lunar eclipse from the Sultan Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the capital on Monday night. 

The eclipse was visible at 7.03pm when parts of the moon's surfaced appeared in darkness. The phenomenon occurs when the earth's shadow is cast onto parts of the moon's surface. The Brunei Times

Venus transit chance to boost awareness on astronomy






Head of the Astronomy Unit Hj Julaihi Hj Lamat presenting his talk on the Venus Transit yesterday at PTE Katok. Picture: BT/Amir Noor
Thursday, June 7, 2012
THE Venus Transit provided the perfect opportunity for Astronomy enthusiasts to attract potential audiences into further developing their interest in the subject.

The Survey Department's commemoration of the once in a life time event yesterday at the Katok Sixth Form Centre (PTE Katok) drew a lot of public attention and provided the perfect opportunity for the Astronomy Unit to brief students about its role and duties.

Astronomy Unit head Hj Julaihi Hj Lamat who was tasked with supervising the event said that injecting an interest amongst the students was just as important as emphasising the unique opportunity they had in witnessing the Venus Transit which will next take place in 2117.

When asked more of how astronomy can be of relevance to the interest of students in their studies, HjJulaihi said there exists a relation between astronomy and the environment and how indepth research and analysis can assist them in understanding how global changes are affecting the Earth.

Other attractive topics he suggested students might be interested in were the universe's history, planet classification, theories of planetary alignment, the end of planets as well as the future of the Earth as our planet in this solar system.

Noticing the keen interest of students wanting to know more about astronomy, he highlighted a number of subjects they can focus on including physics, chemistry and biology with some elements of geography and mathematics.

In the future, Hj Julaihi hopes to establish an astronomy centre fully equipped with the tools and equipment needed in conducting research and studies open to those who are interested in the subject.

The Survey Department's set up yesterday consisted of three filtered telescopes used in viewing Venus' six hour transit from 6.13am to 12.45pm. One of the telescopes was wired into a system which was used as a live projection feed for the talk presented by Hj Julaihi and Geodetic Surveyor Md Hifney Hj AbdRahman at the institute's Gallery 2.

The talk covered the background of the astrological phenomenon as well as its scientific value in measuring the accurate distance between Earth and Venus. The two other telescopes were positioned at the institute's sports track and field where students could view the transit with their own eyes while learning more about the equipment used.

The Brunei Times

Lintasan planet Zuhrah esok



Planet Zuhrah berada antara Bumi dan matahari.




 Grafik lintasan planet Zuhrah depan Matahari waktu Brunei (rajah ini diambil dari perisian Starry Night).


BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 4 Jun - Planet Zuhrah yang merupakan planet kedua terdekat dengan matahari dan kedua terkecil dalam definisi Sistem Suria terbaru, akan berada tepat di antara Bumi dan Matahari pada Rabu (6 Jun) dan akan kelihatan melakukan lintasan di hadapan cakera matahari.

Fenomena unik itu yang jarang-jarang berlaku itu dapat dilihat dari Bumi, secara global (seluruh dunia) termasuk di Brunei Darussalam, menurut Persatuan Astronomi Antarabangsa (International Astronomical Union - IAU).

Di negara ini, ia akan dapat dilihat bermula terbit matahari dan berakhir waktu tengah hari. Jabatan Ukur dalam satu kenyataan berkata, kemerengan satah (plane) orbit Zuhrah bersudut 3.4° berbanding dengan satah orbit Bumi.

Kedua planet ini akan berada pada satah yang sama hanya pada bulan Jun dan Disember. Walau bagaimanapun, lintasan Zuhrah depan matahari ini hanya akan dapat dilihat dari bumi, jika matahari juga berada pada satah yang sama pada bulan Jun atau Disember dan ini jarang-jarang terjadi kerana perbezaan satah ini.

Menurut kenyataan itu lagi, lintasan planet Zuhrah di depan cekra matahari (Transit of Planet Venus in front of the Sun Disc) kali terakhir berlaku dan dapat disaksikan dari Brunei ialah pada tahun 2004.

Ia hanya dijangka berlaku lagi melebihi satu abad yang akan datang iaitu bulan Disember 2117 dan Disember 2125. Dengan demikian ianya mungkin merupakan kesempatan terakhir kita melihat kejadian ini dalam umur kita.

Kenyataan itu turut memberi peringatan mengenai perkara yang patut dijauhi jika hendak menggunakan alat seperti teleskop atau teropong jenis optik (menggunakan kaca atau cermin) sambil menasihatkan orang ramai supaya menggunakan alat penapis cahaya matahari yang khas pada depan cermin teleskop atau teropong pembesar.

Jangan sekali-kali melihat matahari tanpa penapis cahaya, kerana ianya membahayakan penglihatan dan boleh menyebabkan buta.

Pegawai dan kakitangan Bahagian Geodetik, Jabatan Ukur akan membuat cerapan terhadap lintasan planet Zuhrah itu di Pusat Tingkatan Enam, Katok.

Sementara itu, petang ini, fenomena gerhana separa Bulan telah berlaku bermula jam 4:48 petang sehingga 9:18 malam. Gerhana merupakan suatu kejadian memperlihatkan keagungan dan kebesaran Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala yang berlaku pada matahari dan bulan sebagai tanda atau bukti kekuasaanNya seperti terjadinya siang dan malam.

Yang Dimuliakan Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Hamidon bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Abdul Hamid dalam Khutbah Khas mengenai fenomena gerhana bulan yang berlaku malam ini berkata, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam menganjurkan supaya umat Islam supaya melakukan perkara-perkara yang berkebajikan seperti berdoa, berzikir, bersembahyang, bertakbir, bersedekah dan beristighfar apabila berlakunya gerhana.

Menurut beliau, apabila berlaku gerhana umat Islam seharusnya segera bertaubat atas segala dosa yang dilakukan serta menghindari daripada melakukan perkara-perkara yang mungkar dan maksiat serta perbuatan syirik yang bercanggah dengan ajaran agama Islam.

Berikutan fenomena tersebut seluruh masjid, surau dan balai ibadat di Negara Brunei Darussalam telah mengadakan sembahyang Sunat Gerhana Bulan dan di Masjid Omar 'Ali Saifuddien, sembahyang sunat Gerhana Bulan berjemaah telah diimamkan oleh Yang Dimuliakan Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Hamidon.

- Media Permata. Selasa - 5 Jun 2012.
 

Historic Venus transit across face of the Sun tomorrow

Azaraimy HH
The expected time for the transit of Venus in Brunei from its first contact until the exit. - PHOTOS COURTESY OF SURVEY DEPARTMENT
Stargazers with the proper equipment can witness planet Venus transit across the Sun as early as 6.13am tomorrow.

The Brunei Astronomy Association told the Borneo Bulletin that the first contact (in Brunei), where Venus will seem to first touch the Sun's disc, is estimated to start around 6.13am. Meanwhile, the maximum contact, where the whole of Venus will be inside the Sun's disc, will happen at around 9.31am and it will look to be leaving the disc at around 12.45pm.

This is a rare occurrence, where Venus makes a rare transit across the Sun, travelling directly between the Sun and the Earth.

Transit of Venus is among the rarest of predic-table astronomical phenomena. They occur in a pattern that repeats only every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart, separated by a long gap of 121.5 years and 105.5 years.

According to the Survey Department, the last time such a phenomena was witnessed in Brunei was in 2004, and it is predicted to recur in more than a hundred years from now, on December 2117. Therefore, this transit that we see tomorrow would make it the last of such occurrences that we will witness during our lifetime.

As a precaution, the Survey Department urged the public to use a special sun filter while looking through telescopes or optical binoculars for observation as it could cause blindness, and not to look directly at the Sun with the naked eye, as it can permanently damage the retina and lead to loss of vision.
Venus transits are of great scientific importance historically as they were used to gain the first realistic estimate of the size of the Solar System.

Observations of the 1639 transit, combined with the principle of parallax, provided an estimate of the distance between the Sun and the Earth that was more accurate than any other up to that time. In addition, the June 2012 transit will provide scientists with a number of other research opportunities, particularly the refinement of techniques to be used in the search for exoplanets.

According to the Brunei Astronomy Association, a scientific mission to document the occurrence will be made from outer space for the first time.

- Borneo Bulletin. Tuesday, June 5th, 2012.

Special lunar eclipse prayers

Fadhil Yunus
Section of the congregants listening to the sermon.
A special lunar eclipse prayers were performed in all mosques nationwide yesterday.

In a special sermon delivered by Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Hamidon bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Abdul Hamid, he said that it is time for Muslims to repent from their sins as well as stay from harm's way and trouble, which could be misconstrued from the teachings of Islam whenever an eclipse takes form.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged Muslims to perform good deeds such as prayers, recite "zikir" whenever an eclipse occurred, he added last night after the special prayers were held around 7.03pm.

resent during the special prayers, which took place at the Sultan Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the capital, was Awang Haji Harun bin Haji Junid, Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs as well as other senior members from the ministry.

Borneo Bulletin - Tuesday, June 5th, 2012.