SOUTHERN AFRICA: MAPPING THE

Department of Science and UNIVERSE www.saasta.ac.za Technology

THE HERMANUS MAGNETIC WHERE TO STUDY The Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO) is part of an international network of magnetic , which monitor and model changes in the Earth’s magnetic fi eld. Researchers at the HMO are also involved in studying the magnetosphere, which is the outermost layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. The HMO UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY OF runs science awareness programmes for learners CAPE TOWN KWAZULU-NATAL and offers presentations on space physics and guided The department of Astronomy The department of Physics at THE SOUTH AFRICAN tours of the HMO’s facilities. at the University of Cape the University of Kwazulu-Natal ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY Tel: (028) 312 1196 Town offers astronomy at (Pietermaritzburg) prides itself The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) Fax: (028) 312 2039 undergraduate level during the in setting the pace for astronomy has its headquarters in Cape Town and a fi eld station www.hmo.ac.za fi rst and second year of study. in Kwazulu-Natal. By coupling at Sutherland in the Karoo. SAAO dates back to 1820, These courses must be done in practical fi eld trips with a when the Royal Observatory was established at the HIGH ENERGY STEREOSCOPIC conjunction with Physics, which theoretical background ensures Cape. The telescopes at Sutherland are all refl ectors SYSTEM will be one of the major subjects that students experience an with mirrors of 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.9-m diameter. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S) of study. This means that Physics energy of astronomy that extends The SAAO’s work is representative of much of telescopes are located in the Khomas Highland in will be the studied from the beyond the lecture theatre. Natal modern , with activity in areas of solar Namibia, on the Farm Goellschau. The H.E.S.S is a fi rst to the third year of study. University offers astronomy system studies, solar physics, stellar astrophysics, next generation imaging system that will investigate Physics is the foundation for and cosmology lectures during Galactic structure, Magellanic Cloud studies, and gamma-ray sources. The H.E.S.S project is a postgraduate study in astronomy the third and honours (fourth) extragalactic astronomy. Much of the work is done collaboration between the Czech Republic, France, and astrophysics, and often years. Emphasis is placed in collaboration with astronomers from over 20 Germany, Ireland, Namibia, South Africa and the couples with Mathematics or on exposing students to the countries. United Kingdom. Gamma-rays are the most energetic Applied Mathematics. working environments, which Tel: (021) 447 0025 form of light and are produced by the hottest regions Tel: (021) 650 2391 they would fi nd themselves upon Fax: (021) 447 3639 of the universe. They are also produced by such violent Fax: (021) 650 3342 completion of their degrees. This www.saao.ac.za events as supernova explosions or the destruction Email: [email protected] is achieved by having com pre- of atoms. The project will be used to study exotic hen sive vacational employment THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN phenomena like black holes, quasars, pulsars and NATIONAL programmes. LARGE TELESCOPE particles left over from the creation of the universe. ASTROPHYSICS roger.phy.unp.ac.za/ The Southern African Large Telescope hess.puk.ac.za AND SPACE ~astrophysics (SALT) is being built at the SAAO’s site SCIENCE or www.ukzn.ac.za in Sutherland and will be the biggest BOYDEN OBSERVATORY PROGRAMME single optical telescope in the southern The Boyden, located just outside , has The National Astrophysics and UNIVERSITY OF hemisphere when it is completed in 2005. the third largest optical telescope in Southern Africa, Space Science Programme THE FREE STATE SALT will be able to record distant stars, a 1.5m refl ector and various other telescopes for (NASSP) is a collaboration The department of Physics offers galaxies and quasars a billion times too educational purposes, including an excellent solar between researchers from an undergraduate course in faint to see with the unaided eye. Salt telescope. An observation platform is ideal for looking around the country. NASSP is astrophysics, which is coupled will see back to time when the universe at satellites, astro-photography and open-air slide hosted by the UCT and students with courses in physics. The was 10% its current age, when the fi rst projector shows. enrolling for the programme courses in astrophysics are galaxies were forming around 1.5 billion Tel: (051) 401 2924 enjoy learning under some of linked to courses offered by years after the Big Bang. the leading scientists in South Unisa. Students completing Tel: (021) 460 6280 Africa. NASSP offer Honours an undergraduate degree Fax: (021) 447 1312 and Masters Programmes in in science may specialise in www.salt.ac.za Astrophysics and Space Science. astrophysics by pursuing a Tel: (021) 650 2391 masters and later a Ph.D degree. SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY Fax: (021) 650 3342 The Physics Department boasts South Africa is currently competing with other www.star.ac.za newly upgraded equipment and countries to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). research facilities. The University SKA is a 1 billion dollar international project RHODES of the Free State uses the newly to create an array of antennas for detecting UNIVERSITY refurbished Boyden telescope as radio waves that will have a receiving A wide range of exciting research part of its practical instructions area of one square kilometre. This area is pursued in the Rhodes to students. is 100 times larger than the biggest Physics department including www.uovs.ac.za receiving surface that now exists. HARTEBEESTHOEK radio astronomy, where work If South Africa wins the bid, the RADIO ASTRONOMY is in progress on a 2326 MHz UNIVERSITY OF main part of the SKA will be OBSERVATORY radio continuum survey of the SOUTH AFRICA built in the Northern Cape. HartRAO operate a telescope, 26m in diameter, which southern sky using data collected The department of Mathematics, www.ska.ac.za can detect radio waves ranging in wavelength from with the 26 metre dish at the Applied Mathematics and 2.5cm to 18cm. The radio waves are emitted by many Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Astronomy at the University different kinds of objects in the Observatory. Upper atmosphere of South Africa (Unisa) offers sky. HartRAO has the largest physics and aeronomy, which a comprehensive astronomy steerable radio telescope in focus on the ionosphere and course, which progresses from Africa, and cooperates with radio magnetosphere surrounding the undergraduate (fi rst to third telescope facilities on other earth are also covered. year) level to Masters and Phd continents. Tel: (046) 603-8450 level. The undergraduate course Tel: (012) 326 0742 Fax: (046) 622-5049 takes the student from an Fax: (012) 326 0756 www.ru.ac.za/academic/ introduction to astronomy that www.hartrao.ac.za faculties/science includes Kepler Orbits in the fi rst year to the evolution and NORTH-WEST structure of stars and galaxies in UNIVERSITY the second year. Third year topics The Unit for Space Science include radiative mechanisms studies events that occur in the and radiative transfers. Emphasis Earth’s upper atmosphere and is placed on practical work magnetic fi eld. Studies involve that is conducted at the Unisa detecting and characterising Observatory, which is similar in gamma rays, and observing design and equipment to large regions in space where stars professional observatories. originate. Other studies Tel: (012) 429 6202 include observing the Earth’s Fax: (012) 429 6064 magnetosphere and heliosphere. www.unisa.ac.za Observations of this nature are conducted in the Antarctic. School of Physics Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520