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Only the Stars Keep Us Alive One of the miracles that we witness everyday is the Society itself. |
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Why we do what we do? The night skies are a perpetual source of miracles, to which we are addicted, big time. |
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It began about five years ago as no more than a common passion for the stars and heavenly mysteries among several pioneer enthusiasts. What started out as informal get-togethers for exchanging notes and star-gazing field trips culminated in the formation of the Starhunter Society of Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan (W.P.), commonly known as SASSAW, in May 1998. The President of the Society, Mr Bobby Chiam, donated his entire collection of telescopic equipment and reference resources for general use by members of SASSAW. In time, membership grew and SASSAW became the largest and most active astronomy club in Malaysia, well recognised for its relentless efforts to further the science and enjoyment of astronomy among the general public, and in particular, the school children. With no meaningful grants or sponsorships however, keeping SASSAW operationally and financial alive has been a daily exercise of will power and perseverance since day one. As it is, the lifeline of the Society is its core group of volunteers. Their numerous sacrifices and tireless crusades penetrated new grounds and mindsets, and immeasurably enriched the intellectual imagination of those who took time off to be enlightened by the beauty of the night skies and the mysteries of the universe. Significantly, since its inception, the Society has organised no less than 200 "star-hunting" events and numerous educational talks and star parties in primary and secondary schools across the Peninsular States. Still our journey has only just begun. We hope to see you soon in your neighbourhood parks and community centres and your children in their schools. |
Some of us have been at this for decades,
but every time we point our telescopes to the heavens, we fall in love with our great wonderful
universe all over again.
It's an indescribable feeling. Observing the night skies is like watching a bewitchingly good opera
that does not end. The mysteries of the universe occurring at unfathomable
distances play themselves out in startling details under the power of the modern telescopes.
Such beauty and magnificence. What are we in this grand scheme of things?
Our mission, in one sentence, is to share the beauty that exists out there with as
many men, women and children as we can possibly reach.
From the start, we set out to promote an interest in observational astronomy at all levels of
the Malaysian public, focusing in particular on the school-going ages. We firmly believe in the
profound but neglected educational value of star-hunting. And a key pillar of our efforts to raise public awareness
in astronomical science is to share our telescopic facilities and combined
knowledge with every primary and secondary
school in the land. To see the grounds we have covered, click here.
Seeing is believing. One has to gaze upon the stars to appreciate the beauty of the
night skies. Star-gazing is made immeasurably more enjoyable by the power of a good modern telescope,
to which nobody should be denied the chance to try out at least once. That is why
we are constantly throwing star parties, organising events or just sitting around in a crowded
corner sharing, advising and reaching out for the stars.
Eventually we hope to create a tightly bonded and sizeable community of astronomy lovers in Malaysia. Many more great
things can and will happen from there. Indeed, our journey has only just begun.
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