The Observatory of Islamic Astronomy at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (OIF UMSU) hosted its annual event, “National Amateur Astronomy Week 2026,” which was enthusiastically 
welcomed by the people of Medan. The event was held in a hybrid format on Wednesday (August 12).
National Amateur Astronomy Week (PAAN) is an annual movement and celebration for amateur astronomy communities, academics, and space enthusiasts across Indonesia. It is commemorated every year from August 6 to 12.
OIF UMSU, together with the Observatory and Planetarium of UIN Walisongo Semarang, organized a variety of activities, including an astronomy talk show, Astro Kids, a coloring competition for elementary school students from grades 1 to 4, celestial object observations, coffee breaks, educational activities, and prize-based games.
The event was officially opened by Head of OIF UMSU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arwin Juli Rakhmadi Butar-Butar, M.A. The program continued with Astro Kids, followed by a talk show featuring the Observatory and Planetarium team from UIN Walisongo Semarang, a joint stargazing session, and concluded with the announcement of the coloring competition participants and the winners of the Best Instagram Story category. The entire program was attended enthusiastically by all participants.
One participant said that the event was something they had been eagerly waiting for, particularly the night observation session. Another participant expressed their excitement, saying, “I finally had the chance to use the OIF UMSU telescope during the night observation. Thank you, OIF UMSU.”
All coloring competition participants and winners of the Best Instagram Story category received attractive gift packages. In addition, all participants had the opportunity to use the telescopes at the OIF UMSU Sliding Roof. Despite the cloudy skies, participants remained enthusiastic about trying out the telescopes and taking photos together to capture memories of this annual event.
