Bambang Hidayat

Early Life

Bambang Hidayat was born in 1934 in Kudus, Indonesia. He was the oldest of 8 children. He loved the night sky from a young age. He liked to look at stars. He wondered what "shooting stars" were. A book about solar eclipses made him love space even more. 

In 1953, he went to Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to study astronomy, physics, and maths. He also got a job at an observatory. One of his first tasks was to watch Mars when it came close to Earth. He also learned to use large telescopes and record data by hand. He finished his degree in 1960. His research was about young stars in the constellation Ophiuchus. This was his first published scientific work. 

He then won a scholarship to study in the United States, where he got his PhD in 1965. His research looked at the shape of the Milky Way galaxy and how stars are arranged within it.

Career Highlights

Bambang returned to Indonesia after he completed his PhD. In 1968, he became the director of the Bosscha Observatory. He stayed in this role for more than 30 years, during which he helped protect the observatory from the growing city lights.

Bambang became a full professor in 1976. He studied binary stars. These are two stars that move around each other. He also studied the Milky Way and how it formed. 

Bambang shared his work in many ways. He wrote more than 40 research papers and created textbooks for students. He even wrote simple articles for the public. This meant that anybody could learn about space. His writing helped many people learn about space for the first time. 

From 1994 to 2000, he was Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). In this role, he supported education programmes for countries with fewer resources. He also brought the International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA) to Indonesia. This programme trained many young students. It helped more young people explore careers in space science.

Legacy

Bambang is known as the father of modern astronomy in Indonesia. He helped build astronomy as a science in his country. Many of today's astronomers were inspired by him. 

A minor planet was named after him to honour his achievements. It is called 12176 Hidayat (3468 T-3). He also received the Habibie Award in 2003 for his work in science. He also received several national awards for education and research. 

His story shows that one person can inspire many others. 

Other Interests

Bambang liked reading. He enjoyed books about science and history. He also liked photography. 

He cared about nature. Later in life, he helped protect heritage sites and natural areas in the Bandung region.