<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<tt>Hi all<br>
Big news regarding how we will see in the International Year of
Astronomy 2009 - courtesy of the South African Astronomical Observatory
and SALT! (</tt><tt>See the email below from the director of the SAAO
to the staff).<br>
<br>
</tt><tt>This has not been officially released to the media just yet
but serves as a call for assistance and volunteers from the AstroNet
community.<br>
<br>
There will be activities in Sutherland for the week between Christmas
and New Year culminating in a </tt><tt>once-in-a-lifetime</tt><tt> all
night stargazing session at the SAAO observatory in Sutherland (yes,
right up there on the plateau where SALT and the other telescopes
are!). </tt><tt>Within a few weeks we will have press releases and
times when
people can start booking places for this unique
opportunity to experience the world famous skies of Sutherland from the
telescope plateau itself. <br>
<br>
What we need now are volunteers and organising assistance to handle all
the logistics. Please write to me if you are keen and I will send you
more detail.<br>
<br>
Let's make the most of this truly unique opportunity to celebrate the
start of a year that will surely remain with us forever!<br>
Regards<br>
Kevin<br>
<br>
<br>
</tt><tt><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</tt><br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Subject: </th>
<td>[SAAO Staff] New Years Star Party at Sutherland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Date: </th>
<td>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:55:38 +0200</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">From: </th>
<td>Phil Charles <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:pac@saao.ac.za"><pac@saao.ac.za></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline"><br>
</th>
<td><br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<pre>Proposed New Year's Star Party at Sutherland
As I reported at my feedback yesterday, and after consideration by the
SAAO Executive of the risks that would be involved, we have decided to
go ahead and dedicate the use of the observatory on the night of 31st
December 2008 to a public event in Sutherland. This is in recognition
of the significance of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and the
importance of encouraging and enhancing the public's participation in
astronomy.
A large number of people (limited by our hosting capacity) will be
allowed to spend the entire night at the telescopes (including SALT) in
Sutherland, an area which is otherwise strictly reserved for research
purposes. This unique event will be the first time in the history of the
SAAO in Sutherland that an entire night will have been set aside for the
public. It will mark a significant occasion in celebrating astronomy as
we see in the International Year of Astronomy 2009. I would like to
welcome all SAAO staff and astronomy enthusiasts across the country to
support this initiative either by attending the event themselves or
serving as a volunteer. More information will follow shortly but you may
contact Kevin Govender (<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:kg@saao.ac.za">kg@saao.ac.za</a>) in the meantime should you want
to participate or contribute in some way.
Phil Charles
</pre>
</body>
</html>