[AstroNet] NASA Astronaut and IAU President in SA

[Kevin Govender]

Greetings all
Please note the following release on the DST website:
http://www.dst.gov.za/nasa-astronaut-visits-sa-to-promote-astronomy-and-support-for-ska-bid/
Text copied below for your convenience.
Regards
Kevin

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NASA ASTRONAUT TO GIVE PUBLIC LECTURES TO PROMOTE ASTRONOMY AND SUPPORT 
FOR THE SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY BID
Date:
2010-10-25 14:50

An astronaut from the United States National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) is to hold public lectures during a visit to South 
Africa from 8 to 15 November 2010. The astronaut, Dr Jeff Hoffman, will 
be accompanied by Dr Robert Williams, President of the International 
Astronomical Union, and Prof. Charles McGruder of Western Kentucky 
University.

They are visiting South Africa to increase awareness of science though 
astronomy. This is a timely visit considering that Africa is bidding to 
host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope.  If Africa wins 
the bid to host the SKA this would mean an investment of about $15 
billion in Africa over 50 years.  The majority of the investment would 
go to South Africa.  As part of the bid, South Africa is building the 
Karoo Array Telescope (MeerKAT), which will be a world class telescope 
in its own right.

Dr Hoffman, who became an astronaut in 1979, was assigned to the shuttle 
space flight missions to repair the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This 
is regarded as one of the most successful telescopes ever built in terms 
of recognition by the public. Dr Hoffman was also one of the four 
spacewalking astronauts for the first HST servicing mission in 1993. He 
last flew on the Shuttle Columbia. In his five space flights, Hoffman 
has logged more than 1 211 hours in space and travelled more than 34,6 
million km.

Dr Williams is tasked with growing astronomy interest internationally, 
and arranges public lecture tours by NASA astronauts.  Prof. McGruder is 
an astronomer who will give public lectures on the science of the SKA.

Lectures will be given in five South African cities (Pretoria, 
Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Durban and Hermanus).

There will be a photo op with the Minister for Science and Technology, 
Mrs Naledi Pandor, in Cape Town on 9 November 2010 at 09:00 in the 
Minister's office, 10th Floor, 100 Plein Street.

*ASTRONAUT SPEAKING TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA
8 - 15 NOVEMBER 2010* TIME 	

*Event*

	

*Place*

	

*Venue*


*9 November *

17:00 -- 18:30pm



	

Public lecture at University of South Africa

	

Pretoria

	

UNISA

*10 November *

15:00 -- 16:30pm

	Public lecture at University of the Free State 	

Bloemfontein

	

UFS/Boyden

*11 November *

15:00 -- 16:30pm

	

Public lecture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

	

Durban

	

UKZN



*12 November *

15:00 -- 16:30pm

	

Public lecture at National Institute of Higher Education

	

Kimberley

	

NIHE

*13 November*

15:00 -- 16:30pm

	

Public lecture at Hermanus Magnetic Observatory

	

Hermanus

	

HMO


Enquiries: Tommy Makhode

                 Science Communications

                 082 379 8268



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