The Geophysical Station of Malang, in collaboration with the Malang Regency Government, the local Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), and students from the Master of Informatics program at UIN Malang (including Tomy Ivan Sugiharto), along with the Data Science Enthusiasts (DSE) community, participated in the observation of the crescent moon (hilal) to determine the start of Shawwal 1446 Hijri. This initiative employed machine learning forecasting to enhance the accuracy of predicting the hilal‘s visibility.
The observation was conducted on Saturday, 29 March 2025, on the 9th floor of the Malang Regent’s Office, Jalan Panji, Kepanjen District, Malang Regency, East Java. Representatives from the Malang Regency Government and the local Ministry of Religious Affairs attended the event, which primarily used the rukyah method (direct visual observation).
The application of machine learning in hilal observation aims to improve prediction accuracy while strengthening synergy between government agencies, academia, and science communities in determining the Islamic calendar. The results will serve as a reference for the Ministry of Religious Affairs in officially declaring Eid al-Fitr 1446 H.
Through this multidisciplinary and technology-driven approach, the Malang Geophysical Station (BMKG) seeks to integrate traditional rukyah methods with modern scientific advancements to produce more precise and reliable data.
