Kajian Penentuan Arah Kiblat Menggunakan Arah Planet Venus

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to find out how to determine the Qibla direction of a
place using the position of the planet Venus and how to prove the calculation of the position of
Venus in the sky. This research is motivated by the question of how to determine the Qibla
direction at night if the conditions do not have sophisticated technological equipment. This
research is a descriptive analysis research where all the data is collected through observation
techniques. The research results show that the position of the planet Venus can be used as an
alternative reference to determine the Qibla direction. Based on observations using astronomical
calculations, it is known that Venus looks very luminous on the western horizon when the sky is
clear and the sun has set perfectly. We can also see one of the planets Venus at dawn on the
eastern horizon, so Venus is also often referred to as the morning star. Data on the position of the
planet Venus such as the altitude and azimuth of the planet Venus somewhere are then calculated
using the horizon coordinate system. The data is used as a theodolite reference. Furthermore, to
obtain the actual Qibla direction, the theodolite lens is directed to the position of the planet Venus
and rotated clockwise (same as the difference in the azimuth angle with the Qibla azimuth of
Venus). Thus, the position of the planet Venus can be used as an alternative to determine the Qibla
direction.