Clearing Up Public Misconceptions about Astronomy, ITB Astronomy Students Hold "Thaumazein" Event
By Muhammad Hanif Darmawan - Mahasiswa Teknik Pertambangan, 2021
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
Participants and the Speaker of the "Thaumazein" Event Talk Show pose for a photo together at the IPTEKS Auditorium, East CC ITB Ganesha (21/09/2025) (ITB/Muhammad Hanif Darmawan)
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - Stemming from concerns over the prevalence of misconceptions and hoaxes in the field of astronomy, ITB Astronomy students from the class of 2024 held a class-action event titled "Thaumazein: The Truth Unfold, Revealing Astronomical Mystery." The event, which was open to the public, was held at the IPTEKS Auditorium, East CC, and Cinta Field at ITB Ganesha on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
This event is part of the Youth Member Development series for the Astronomy Student Association (Himastron) ITB 2025. According to the Chief Executive, Ghazanfar Wangsa Muhammad, who is also an ITB Astronomy student, this event is a small step towards popularizing the science of astronomy in an engaging way.
The name "Thaumazein" itself is taken from a philosophical term meaning "something that makes us curious and wonder". "We chose Thaumazein to represent our goal of encouraging the public to ask more questions and not to accept all information at face value," explained Ghazanfar.
The event was packaged into three main activities: an exhibition, a talk show, and a short film screening. The exhibition session featured five interactive booths that addressed popular misconceptions, such as the idea that a black hole can indiscriminately absorb everything, or that astronomical images are always colorful.
The talk show featured an astrophysicist and ITB Astronomy lecturer, Anton Timur Jaelani, D.Sc., as the speaker. The discussion focused on how to recognize and correct various misconceptions prevalent in society.
Additionally, the committee also published their short film titled "Moon Among the Silence". This film tells the story of a man named Arkin who loses the woman he loves, Livi, due to the genocide in Gaza. This loss brings about a deep sense of guilt, leading him to write a poem as a memorial. According to the director, Ventino Alexsandra, who is also an ITB Astronomy student, this film was intentionally made to offer a broad interpretation to the audience, so they are free to interpret it according to their own imagination.
Ghazanfar admitted that the main challenges in preparing for the event were the limited time and human resources amidst a busy academic schedule. However, he hopes that "Thaumazein" can achieve its goals. "Our hope is that the public will no longer accept information uncritically, but will first go through a verification process by asking many questions," he concluded.
Reporter: Muhammad Hanif Darmawan (Mining Engineering, 2021)
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