Kupang Regency, NTT – A warm atmosphere was felt at the Central Amfoang District Office, Kupang Regency, on September 12–13, 2025. Dozens of elementary, middle, and high school students, teachers, young people, and residents gathered for a workshop titled "Telling Skies: Traditional Astronomical Knowledge Narratives." This activity was initiated by the Community Service team of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) with the support of the local government.
This two-day workshop offered a unique experience: children and residents were invited to relive stories about stars, the moon, and the nite sky passed down by their ancestors. "The sky is not only seen thru telescopes, but also thru the stories that shape people's daily lives," explained Dr. Anton Timur Jaelani, S.Si., M.Si., as the Head of the ITB Community Service Team.
On the first day of the workshop, participants were divided into small groups. They gathered traditional astronomical knowledge from indigenous elders in several villages and then put it into the form of pictures and short stories. The discussion was lively, full of laughter, and even interspersed with childhood stories about how ancestors read the sky to determine planting times, hunting, and harvesting forest honey. The second day was the highlight of the event, featuring a mini exhibition of storytelling outcomes. Each group displayed the stories they had written in the district office. The attendees seemed enthusiastic about seeing the children's artwork, which featured stories ranging from guiding stars to sky legends believed to carry moral messages.
Marsyoner Prayudin Bureni, as the Head of Amfoang Tengah District, also expressed his appreciation: "We are very grateful for this community service, where the team from the Bandung Institute of Technology collaborated with Nusa Cendana University to directly meet with the target points, from elementary, junior high, and high school levels to community leaders. This activity opens up opportunities for the development of an Ethnoastronomy Center in Central Amfoang, especially with the presence of the Timau National Observatory. The material presented was outstanding, connecting cultural narratives with science and technology. Our hope is that this collaboration will continue, one way being thru the establishment of libraries in sub-district offices and the development of village and sub-district websites so that programs can be published and support the era of the National Observatory. This program is a follow-up to ITB's grand plan to make the National Observatory in Timau not only a center for modern astronomical research, but also a space that embraces the community. The proposal initially planned to develop the Knowledge Hub as a communication center between researchers and citizens. However, on the ground, the activities began with simple and participatory workshops so that the community would feel like they were part of the scientific journey. The ITB team also had the opportunity to motivate the students of Amfoang Tengah State High School 1, who were participating in the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Camping, to learn about and understand the science of Astronomy and its connection to local wisdom under the beautiful nite sky of Amfoang Tengah. In addition to preserving local wisdom, this activity also opened a space for dialog between residents and researchers. The documentation of the sky stories from the workshop will be archived, becoming part of Amfoang's cultural identity and serving as supporting material for science education at Obnas Timau. The ITB team plans to continue this program with further collaboration, so that the public's relationship with the world of science can continue to be maintained. This is just the beginning of a long journey. "Our hope is that the residents will not just be spectators behind the observatory gates, but will actively participate in developing science and cultural tourism in Timau," emphasized Dr. Anton Timur Jaelani, S.Si., M.Si. The interdisciplinary team involved in this Top-Down Community Service Scheme includes Dr. Anton Timur Jaelani, S.Si., M.Si. (Team Leader/Astronomy Lecturer); Prananda Luffiansyah Malasan, S.Ds., M.Ds., Ph.D. (Product Design Lecturer); R. Raditya Ardianto Taepoer, S.Ds., M.Ds., Ph.D. (Product Design Lecturer); Dr. Grandprix Thomryes Marth Kadja, M.Si. (Chemistry Lecturer); Angelica Maureen Elti (Product Design Final Year Student); and Bernadin Mascha Yuwono (Product Design Student); from Partners: Chornelis Julestan Be'E Anin, M.Si. (Geography Education Lecturer at UNDANA); and Jehunias leonidas Tanesib, M.Sc. (Physics Lecturer at UNDANA).
