Golden opportunity: A young child viewing the sun through a telescope at the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur. — Photo from the National Planetarium’s Facebook page
Visitors flock to National Planetarium’s solar viewing
PUTRAJAYA: Visitors to the National Planetarium can get a chance to view the sun directly and safely through specialised telescopes at its exhibition booth.
National Planetarium representative Adli Roslan said two telescopes have been prepared to allow visitors to view the sun’s layers up close – the photosphere using a white-light filter and the chromosphere using a hydrogen-alpha filter.
“Through these telescopes, visitors can experience live solar observation. It’s not easy to observe the sun safely as it requires specific equipment and dedicated filters,” he said, Bernama reported.
He said the initiative, which is in conjunction with the “Rancakkan Madani Bersama Malaysiaku” programme, not only enables the public to understand the sun’s true structure and colour, but also helps spark interest in space science among young people.
“We brought in equipment, including specialised telescopes, so visitors can safely witness the phenomenon. From there, they can explore topics such as stars, the solar system and the origins of the universe,” he said.
At night, the Planetarium also offers viewing sessions of Saturn and the full or post-full moon through telescopes.
“Night observations are scheduled to begin at around 7pm for Saturn, while moon observations will take place at around 9pm,” he said.
Adli added that the booth receives between 300 and 500 visitors daily, with many expressing excitement after seeing the sun’s colours and features through the telescope.
“From there, they begin asking questions about stars and how life in the universe began.”
The National Planetarium is an agency under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry tasked with promoting public awareness of space science, observational technology and astronomy.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces, through its Health Services division, set up a field hospital to showcase its capabilities in providing medical services both domestically and abroad.
Medical Officer Colonel Dr Faira Rosmarina Mohd Rustam said the exhibition aims to raise public awareness of the field hospital’s functions and the armed forces’ involvement in international humanitarian missions and local disaster operations.
“This field hospital is a scaled-down version of the actual facility we deploy during humanitarian missions.
“One example was the 2005 mission to Myanmar following an earthquake, where we sent a Forward Anaesthesia Surgical Trauma team to perform surgeries and provide medical treatment.”
She added that medical teams have also served in various international missions, including during the earthquake in Turkiye, where a field hospital was established to treat affected communities.
The three-day programme, which began on Friday, features more than 300 public service offerings, a career carnival, interactive exhibitions, family activities and various special promotions.
Organised by the Prime Minister’s Office through the Performance Acceleration Coordination Unit, the national-level event targets around 300,000 visitors. On its first day, the programme recorded 127,611 visitors.
