Rukyatul Hilal will be broadcast online from six locations

Jakarta, NU Online
The process of rukyatul hilal (sighting of moon) to determine the beginning of Ramadhan 1429 (in Islamic calendar) will reportedly be broadcast online from six locations in Indonesia.

The six locations chosen in the program called as "rukyat online" will represent three time zones in the world's most populous Muslim country, namely Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT), Central I<>ndonesian Time (WITA), and Western Indonesian Time (WIB).

Chief of the Data Center of the Department of Communication and Information (Depkominfo) Ari Santosa told NU Online here on Friday (22/8).

The "rukyat online" program is the collaboration between the Department of Communication and Information and the Hisab and Rukyat Board of the Department of Religious Affairs (Depag).

The six locations having so far been used to sight hilal are Kupang, Maluku, Lamongan, Semarang, Bandung, and Aceh.

While the data from the six will be transfered to the Helix Server of the Technological Institute of Bandung (ITB) and be then relayed to the Telkom before being transfered to the website of both Depkominfo and Depag.

The official site of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) NU Online will also report the rukyat online.

The rukyat online will be broadcast for two days on 31 August or 29 Sya'ban 1429 (in Islamic calendar) coincided with what called as itsbat meeting at the office of the Depag on coming 1 September 2008 or 30 Sya'ban or 1 Ramadhan. (nam)