Technology innovations rooted in Islamic astronomy took center stage in the final round of the Astronomy and Ilmu Falak (Islamic astronomy) Competition at the Religion, Science, and Research Olympiad (OASE) III PTKIN 2026. Twelve contingents from State Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN) presented their innovative work in the Theatrical Hall of the Faculty of Sharia and Law (FSH) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta on Friday, November 6, 2026.

The twelve contingents came from UIN Sunan Walisongo Semarang, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, UIN Fatmawati Sukarno Bengkulu, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, UIN Sunan Kudus, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, IAIN Parepare, UIN Mataram, UIN Syekh Ali Hasan Ahmad Addary Padangsidimpuan, UIN Antasari Banjarmasin, and UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung.

The number of finalists, originally planned at nine contingents, was increased to 12 because several participants tied in the selection process. This step was taken to uphold fairness and to give every participant with an equal result the chance to advance to the final round. UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta was one of the contingents that made it to this stage.

To ensure objective judging, the competition's panel of judges came from outside UIN Sunan Kalijaga. They were H. Muhammad Agus Yusrun Nafi, S.Ag., M.S.I. of UIN Sunan Kudus; Dr. Ahmad Syifaul Anam, S.H.I., M.H. of UIN Walisongo Semarang; and Mutoha Arkanuddin of Rukyatul Hilal Indonesia (RHI). All three have expertise and a proven track record in ilmu falak, or Islamic astronomy.

In the final round, participants presented a range of innovative designs that integrate ilmu falak with advances in digital technology. These included FALAK.ID, an interactive digital simulation-based learning innovation for ilmu falak, presented by the Islamic Family Law Study Program contingent from FSH at UIN Fatmawati Sukarno Bengkulu through Mhofik Al Pajri, Mutia Amalia, and Nurul Kholifah.

Another entry was SI-KIBLAT, a digital certificate-based application designed as a model for measuring and improving the accuracy of qibla (prayer direction) in prayer rooms (musala) in public facilities. This work was presented by Kania Arbella, Ihda Raudatul Jannah, and Siti Nabila of UIN Antasari Banjarmasin.

UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, meanwhile, presented ASTRO FALAK, an Islamic astronomy application developed by three students: Aulia Putri Setiono, Shofi Nabila, and Rahmad Hidayat Hasibuan.

Dr. Abdul Mughits, a lecturer in Ilmu Falak (Islamic Astronomy) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga and the person in charge of the Astronomy and Ilmu Falak Competition, explained that ASTRO FALAK is designed to deliver a wide range of astronomical information accurately and precisely in a single application. Its features include the position of the moon in horizontal, equatorial, and ecliptic coordinate systems, as well as the positions of the sun and other celestial bodies, including azimuth and altitude.

The application also offers a qibla direction feature that is not limited to a preset list of cities; users can set their location as needed through a relocation feature. It also provides prayer times, with a comparison of the calculation methods used by the government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs and by Muhammadiyah.

Notably, ASTRO FALAK also includes a solar system feature that lets users explore celestial bodies such as the planet Jupiter through visuals and information on the planet's characteristics. The feature adopts an approach to astronomical exploration similar to the Celestia application.

According to Abdul Mughits, development of ASTRO FALAK will continue. At this stage, a feature for determining the start of Hijri months could not be included due to limited development time. Going forward, the team plans to add features for determining the beginning of the month, eclipse information, date conversion, and news related to ilmu falak.

"In the future, this application will be developed into a more complete website that is easy for the wider public to access, including school and university students," he said.

The innovations presented in this competition show that ilmu falak has broad room for growth through digital technology. Beyond strengthening the study of Islamic astronomy, these innovations also have the potential to offer practical solutions for community needs, from learning astronomy and determining the qibla to providing prayer time information.

Through OASE III PTKIN 2026, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, as host, is also helping to nurture a generation of scholars and innovators who can develop knowledge grounded in Islamic values and respond to the challenges of technological change and the needs of society. (humassk)