Summary: From Papar’s new observatory to Kota Belud’s rivers and Kudat’s legendary dark skies, our Ramadan Milkyway Hunt 2026 became an adventure of shared stories, coastal cooking, stargazing marathons, and breathtaking landscapes – a journey where Sabah’s beauty, its people, and the cosmos came together in one unforgettable experience. Most of all, we travelled with incredible people, AstroFalak expert, Dark Sky Rangers, and friends who turned every moment into a memory. A celestial travelogue.

From 20 to 24 February 2026, our journey unfolded across the sweeping landscapes of Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Kota Belud, and Kudat – five days on the road in two cars, tracing the northern curve of Borneo in search of its darkest skies. Sabah has long been whispered about among stargazers as one of Southeast Asia’s most promising frontiers: vast stretches of countryside untouched by heavy light pollution, horizons that open wide in every direction, and coastal plains where the night sky rises unobstructed from the sea. Under these conditions, the Milky Way reveals its full glory, meteor trails carve bright arcs overhead, and deep‑sky objects emerge with a clarity rarely seen in more urban settings. Drawn by this promise, seven members of the Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD) set out to experience Sabah’s celestial wilderness firsthand – an overland expedition shaped by curiosity, camaraderie, and the timeless pull of the stars.

Our first stop was the Kompleks Balai Cerap Saizwagger 2 in Papar, an observatory operated by Dr. Hj. Sairin, an astrofalak expert. The building itself reflected a strong astronomy theme, with planetary designs throughout the interior. Even the small details, such as bedsheets and floor tiles designed with compass directions, created a space that felt intentionally connected to celestial observation. From the sixth floor, the landscape stretched across distant mountains and hazy horizons, illustrating how observatories are often located in elevated areas to minimise atmospheric obstruction and artificial light.

The night sky at Papar was one of the most memorable moments of the trip. In the early hours before dawn, the Milky Way appeared clearly across the sky, stretching horizontally along the horizon. Because the surrounding area has relatively low light pollution, the structure of the galaxy was visible to the naked eye. The densest and brightest part of the band was the Galactic Center, the region where billions of stars are concentrated around the core of our galaxy. Seeing this glowing band of light above us gave a powerful sense of scale, reminding us that our solar system exists within a much larger cosmic structure. Also, during the observation session, we spotted meteors streaking across the sky and identified several constellations such as Scorpius, Norma, Ara, Sagittarius, and more.

The following morning, we travelled to Kota Belud and stayed at Tagudon Tourist Village, located near the foothills of Mount Kinabalu. The campsite offered clear views of both the river and the surrounding mountains, demonstrating another key factor in astronomical observation: open landscapes with minimal visual obstructions. That evening, we met Emma Zulaiha Zulkifli, founder of Dark Sky Malaysia, who shared insights about public astronomy outreach and efforts to promote dark-sky awareness. Although rain prevented stargazing that night, discussions around the campfire highlighted the important role that astronomy communities play in fostering environmental awareness and scientific curiosity.

Our journey continued to Kudat, located at the northern edge of Borneo. Along the drive, we observed rural infrastructure, such as solar panels used to generate electricity in remote communities. These systems are particularly important in areas where reducing artificial light also helps preserve darker skies. After arriving in Kudat, we stopped by a small seashell stall near the beach. The stall sold real seashells collected from the coastline, ranging from RM5 to RM35 – Each of us bought one or two shells as souvenirs.

At night, we travelled to the Tip of Borneo, the northernmost point of the island. The coastal location offers unobstructed horizons facing the open sea, making it an ideal site for night-sky observation. During our observation session, we also learned how to use the Starsense Explorer, along with the Sky Map on the phone, to navigate the night sky. By using the digital sky map, we were able to identify constellations and immediately locate specific celestial objects such as stars, planets, and nebulae through the telescope. Using the digital smart telescope, ZWO Seestar S50, we captured images of the Orion Nebula and the star cluster Messier 67. Even with limited time and travel fatigue, the sky revealed countless stars, constellations, and distant galaxies.

The monument at the Tip of Borneo also reflects the place’s cultural history. Known locally as Tanjung Simpang Mangayau, it is connected to the history of the Rungus people, whose folklore describes the area as a place where their ancestors defended their territory. Learning about these stories added another layer of meaning to the landscape. It reminded us that places like this are not only beautiful for astronomy but also rich in culture and history.

Overall, the journey demonstrated why Sabah is increasingly recognised as a valuable stargazing destination. Its combination of rural landscapes, coastal horizons, and growing astronomy communities creates an environment where both science and cultural appreciation of the night sky can thrive.

Beyond the astronomical experiences and breathtaking landscapes, the journey was also meaningful because of the people who shared the experience together. My sincere appreciation goes to Uncle Azaharry, Ka Jannah, Ka Ema, Mumtazah, Nazhif, and Adi Zulhilmi for helping capture great photographs throughout the trip and for making the journey both smooth and memorable. Travelling together, sharing meals, preparing for iftar and sahur, and standing under the vast night sky made the experience even more meaningful. It is a journey that truly filled my heart with gratitude. Salam Ramadan.

Bandar Seri Begawan – The Astronomical Society of Brunei Darussalam (PABD) is still investigating after sightings of a mysterious fireball accompanied with a loud bang was reported falling to earth in broad daylight last week, January 31, 2021.

On Sunday (February 7, 2021), a team of members of the PABD conducted further examination at the locations based on firsthand sighting video and photograph of the meteor event.

PABD is also working closely with the Sabah Stargazers with the support by a group of 4×4 off-road enthusiasts known as Jimmy Sierra Brunei Community by exchanging information on the coordinates in the sky of the reported meteor.

Currently, there are two key sources of evidence based on two dashcam-footage that accidentally caught the meteor at the same time – from Kampong Kulapis, Brunei Darussalam and Penampang, Sabah. These useful information were solid proof to determine the approximate physical characteristics of the meteor and its location, which were later triangulated by statistics from another eyewitness.

The fireball brightness is difficult to estimate due to bright sunlight, but usually ranges from magnitude -5 (equivalent to the planet Venus) to magnitude -10 (light produced by a half-illuminated moon). Based on the video recording by Abd Wafiy bin Hj Rudzi, the light from a fireball was estimated to be at magnitude -13 which is equivalent to the light produced by a full moon. This makes the event exceedingly rare and special.

Most ordinary meteors with diameter 1 millimeter or about the size of a grain of sand have the capability to produce a rapid flash as they streak the sky. But bright fireball that was seen easily in the daytime last week are many times that size – anywhere from a baseball-sized object to something as big as a small car.

Preliminary analysis by PABD has pinpointed the estimated location of the meteor explosion which occurred in the airspace of South China Sea, about 30 kilometers away from Bandar Seri Begawan, near the Brunei Bay and Southwest of Labuan Island.

Based on the elevation angles, the position of the fireball when the intense explosion occurred was computed about 35 km high above the ground.

When a meteor traveling at tremendous velocities penetrates to the Earth’s stratosphere, at an altitude of below 60 kilometers and explodes as a bolide, there is a high chance that the meteor triggers sonic boom which can be heard on the ground below.

NASA’s Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instruments on GOES weather satellites has detected the fireball travelling at velocity of 14 km/s, about 40 times the speed of sound with radiated energy impact in the atmosphere of equivalent to 720 tons of TNT above Brunei Darussalam. This information was reported by the Centre of Near-Earth Object Studies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) has also verified and catalogued last week’s incident as Event 632-2021 on their website. In addition to the sonic boom heard by hundreds of netizens over social media, there were 11 confirmed reports about a fireball was seen over Belait District, Brunei-Muara District and Sabah on Sunday, January 31, 2021 around 03:02 UT or 11:02 am local time. However, the meteor trajectory and impact status has not yet been established due to missing reliable and accurate data.

The IMO’s International Fireball Program analyses meteor information provided by public eyewitness online which can be combined with other eye-witnesses to give a good estimate of the trajectory of the fireball, to help determine if a ground fall occurred and perhaps if the meteorite can be recovered.

Since 2005, the IMO had received about 224,000 fireballs reports from around the world, or an average of 15,000 reports every year.  Only a very few fireballs relate to meteorite falls.

PABD is keen to share the data and findings to the international and regional scientific community to further conduct a research on the meteor.

Kota Kinabalu – Seramai 3 orang ahli Persatuan Astronomi Negara Brunei Darussalam (PABD) mengadakan program lawatan ke balai cerap Al-Biruni Negeri Sabah pada petang Sabtu, 25 Januari 2020.

Kedatangan peserta program lawatan tersebut telah disambut oleh Yang Berbahagia Sohibus Samahah Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar, Mufti Negeri Sabah. Program lawatan telah memuatkan sesi taklimat ringkas mengenai pengenalan dan kemajuan balai cerap Al-Biruni yang terletak di Tanjung Dumpil, Putatan oleh Jabatan Mufti Negeri Sabah

Rombongan program lawatan selama sehari tersebut diketuai oleh Setiausaha Agung PABD, Awang Hazarry bin Hj Ali Ahmad. Ahli rombongan PABD, Abdul Waliyuddin bin Yahya, juga diberikan peluang untuk menyampaikan ucapan pada acara tersebut sebagai wakil peserta.

“Melihat kepada kedudukan geografi dan sudut sejarah, Bahasa dan kebudayaan, Brunei Darussalam dan Malaysia berkongsi banyak persamaan. Walaupun begitu, Negeri Sabah sangat berpotensi besar dalam memperkembangkan bidang astronomi dengan adanya kemudahan balai-balai cerap untuk dimanfaatkan dan banyak kawasan Dark Sky (langit gelap) untuk mencerap cakerawala” kata Abdul Waliyuddin.

Peserta rombongan juga menzahirkan rasa bersyukur dan harapan untuk menyertai aktiviti di masa akan datang, “Saya berharap ahli-ahli Persatuan Astronomi Negara Brunei Darussalam yang hadir akan dapat mencontohi dan menimba pengalaman daripada kejayaan pihak Yang Berbahagia Datuk dengan penganjuran lebih banyak lagi aktiviti astronomi masyarakat dan pendedahan bidang falak melalui majlis-majlis ilmu di masa akan datang.”

Yang Berbahagia Sohibus Samahah Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar, Mufti Negeri Sabah juga telah menyampaikan ucapan alu-aluan dan seterusnya menyempurnakan penyampaian cenderahati kepada peserta lawatan.

Pembinaan balai cerap Al-Biruni berperanan sebagai pemangkin pusat pendidikan, penyelidikan dan sektor pelancongan di samping untuk menjana pengembangan ilmu falak dan astronomi khususnya di negeri Sabah, Malaysia.

Kompleks tersebut dibina di atas tapak rasmi Melihat Anak Bulan bagi Negeri Sabah seluas 7.76 hektar yang telahpun diwartakan pada 28 Zulkaedah 1427H bersamaan 19 Oktober 2006M. Sebelumnya, cerapan anak bulan dilaksanakan di Masjid Al-Hilal berdekatan dengan tapak balai cerap berkenan.

Orientasi bangunan Al-Biruni menghadap ufuk barat ke arah Laut Cina Selatan menjadikan ia sebagai lokasi yang strategik bagi aktiviti cerapan anak bulan (hilal). Nama balai cerap berkenaan diambil sempena nama ahli falak yang terkemuka Abu Raihan Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Biruni.

Selain aktiviti melihat anak bulan, balai cerap ini juga menjadi venue bagi mengadakan kursus ilmu falak, sesi latihan astronomi, cerapan gerhana dan objek samawi serta perbincangan astronomi bagi profesional dan amatur.

Melalui program lawatan tersebut, PABD juga turut mengadakan cerapan Hilal Jamadilakhir 1441H di Balai Cerap berkenan bersama-sama Jabatan Mufti Negeri Sabah dan Sabah Stargazers. Hilal yang berumur 12 jam telah tidak berhasil dicerap kerana keadaan yang berawan di atas ufuk barat.

Program tersebut juga diharap dapat mengerat dan memperkukuhkan lagi hubungan persaudaran dan merasa nikmat ukhwah yang akrab dan mesra di antara Negeri Sabah dan Negara Brunei Darussalam yang sudah sekian lama wujud.

Pada sebelah malam, ahli -ahli PABD juga berkesempatan untuk melawat Balai Cerap Sabah Stargazers di Papar. Kehadiran para pelawat ke balai cerap berkenaan telahpun disambut oleh Cik Emma Zulaiha Zulkifli, Pengarah Program Sabah Stargaze. Balai cerap ini dilengkapi dengan teleskop SkyWatcher Quattro 8″ Newtonian f/4 yang sesuai untuk menangkap gambar cakerawala seperti Nebula dan gugusan bintang. Rombongan juga berkesempatan menggunakan peralatan astrofotografi yang terdapat di balai cerap tersebut untuk merakam Horsehead Nebula.