[AstroNet] FW: DST/HSRC Seminar 21 February 2012 , Re-emergence of Leading Astronomy in Africa, Presented by Dr Tshepo Seekoe Chief Director, Radio Astronomy Advances, DST, and Mr Aunkh Chabalala , Director, IKS, DST

[Claire Flanagan]

Apologies if you're getting this twice . . 

 

Claire Flanagan

Jhb Planetarium

________________________________

From: Arlene Grossberg [mailto:acgrossberg at hsrc.ac.za] 
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 8:40 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: DST/HSRC Seminar 21 February 2012 , Re-emergence of Leading
Astronomy in Africa, Presented by Dr Tshepo Seekoe Chief Director, Radio
Astronomy Advances, DST, and Mr Aunkh Chabalala , Director, IKS, DST
Importance: High

 

This seminar may be attended via video conference in Pretoria, Cape Town
and KwaZulu-Natal. Details as below. The speaker will be located in
Pretoria. 

 

Invitation 

The HSRC Seminar Series

In collaboration with

The Department of Science and Technology

 

Re-emergence of Leading Astronomy in Africa

 

Presented by Dr Tshepo Seekoe Chief Director, Radio Astronomy Advances,
DST, and Mr Aunkh Chabalala, Director, IKS, DST

 

Venues in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town (Videoconferencing facilities:
see below) 

Date:  Tuesday, 21 February 2012 

Time: 12:15 for 12:30 to 14:00   

 

It is no secret that Ancient Africans were proficient Star-Gazers, and
knowledge of the stellar systems formed part of their cosmology and
worldview.  Through their understanding of the star systems, they
intuited the universal laws of nature.  To them stars were not only
cosmic arms of time, but also shaped their reality and day to day life
like agriculture, health, education, relationships, environmental
management and nation building rituals.

 

There are currently three international telescopes in the Northern Cape
Karoo.  The first is SALT, which an optical telescope near Sutherland.
The second is the C-Band All Sky Survey (C-BASS), which is a radio
telescope.  The third is PAPER (Precision Array to Probe the Epoch of
Reionisation), which is a radio telescope. A number of African countries
are developing initiatives in astronomy, they are:

*        Egypt is refurbishing its 1.9-metre optical telescope. 

*        Mauritius has the Mauritius Radio Telescope, which was
constructed in the early 1990s.

*        South Africa and Mauritius are jointly building a low frequency
array with telescope stations in both countries.

*        Burkina Faso is installing a 1-metre optical telescope.

*        Ethiopia is considering installing a 2-metre robotic
optical/infrared telescope and increasing the number of universities to
support astronomy.

*        Kenya and Mozambique, as a result of the African bid for the
SKA, have started an astronomy programme at the University of Nairobi
and University of Eduardo Mondlane respectively.

*        Ghana has started conversion of a communications antenna into a
radio telescope.

*        Nigeria is erecting a 25-metre radio telescope and has
expressed an interest in taking part in the African VLBI network.

*        Namibia has the HESS telescope, which a high-energy telescope
owned by an international consortium.

*        South Africa has completed a 7-dish array called Karoo Array
Telescope (KAT-7)

 

Kindly RSVP by 19 February 2012

 

Cape Town : HSRC, 12th Floor, Plein Park Building (Opposite Revenue
Office), Plein Street, Cape Town. Contact Vuyokazi Ngxubaza, Tel (021)
4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or VNgxubaza at hsrc.ac.za, Cell: 082 0508453 

Durban :  First floor HSRC board room, 750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko
Junction, Pods 5 and 6, Cato Manor, Contact Ridhwaan Khan, Tel (031) 242
5400, cell: 083 788 2786 or RKhan at hsrc.ac.za 

Pretoria : HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences
Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. Arlene Grossberg, Tel:
(012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg at hsrc.ac.za

 

 

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document. 

 

This email and its contents are subject to the HSRC's e-mail legal
notice which can be viewed at:
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Corporate_Information-10.phtml 

Alternatively, send a blank e-mail to: disclaimer at hsrc.ac.za and a copy
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