National Research Foundation Annual Report 2008 / 2009 [Part 2]

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4 NRFimpact report 2008/09A worldwide effortProfessor Phil CharlesThe local astronomy community’s IYA2009 efforts are not limited to South Africa (SA). In fact, our countryplayed a pivotal role in creating the initiative. Efforts to convince the United Nations (UN) to declare2009 as the International Year of Astronomy were driven through the International Astronomical Union(IAU) and the UN Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). South Africa, throughSAAO, represented other African countries as part of a small, high-level delegation sent to lobbysupport at UN headquarters in New York.Following the successful lobbying exercise, South Africa worked with the IAU to developprogrammes to promote astronomy in underdeveloped regions all over the world. SAAOstaff now coordinate one of 11 IYA2009 global cornerstone projects entitled “DevelopingAstronomy Globally”. The SAAO project conducted a global astronomy survey; sourced andmanaged funds from UNESCO for African students to attend the IYA2009 opening eventin Paris; managed a full grant process for astronomy “seed funding” for developing countriesacross the globe; developed plans for a series of astronomy development visits by the IAU totargeted regions; and is leading the distribution of donated telescopes worldwide.SAAO has also conducted numerous astronomy outreach and development training workshops in Kenya,Nigeria, Namibia, Lesotho and all across South Africa. “We also provide general support to other Africancountries that need assistance to develop their astronomy outreach programmes,” concludes Prof. Charles.The National Astrophysics and Space Science ProgrammeSouth Africa’s astronomical community does not only lead people to the stars through fun events. Anextensive academic programme is nurturing the astronomers of tomorrow.The National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP) trains local astronomers toensure that our country takes full advantage of the magnificent SALT facility. “SALT provided the impetusfor the programme. It gave us a way to entice people, especially those from previously disadvantagedcommunities, into the space sciences, while also addressing the dearth of high-level science skills in thecountry,” says Prof. Charles.Started in 2003, NASSP prepares students who graduate in physics, applied mathematics or relateddisciplines to start on a PhD in astrophysics (specialising in optical, radio, gamma-ray or theoreticalastronomy) or in space physics. This is done through a one-year Honours course followed by an 18-month Master’s. The students complete the Honours and first six months of the Master’s programmeat the host institution, which is the University of Cape Town. They then proceed to one of the partnerinstitutions for their Master of Science (MSc) thesis research. Partner institutions include the universitiesREFLECTED GLORYThis photograph was taken at the launch of IYA2009 in South Africa at SAAO. It coincided with the partial solareclipse on 26 January 2009. It was selected to appear on the internationally renowned NASA Astronomy Pictureof the Day website on 29 January (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090129.html), reaching a worldwide audience.Note the repeated images of the eclipse on the shirt. The effect is familiar to eclipse enthusiasts as small gaps,commonly between leaves on trees, that act as pinhole cameras to generate multiple recognisable images of theeclipse. From the Cape Town perspective, the solar eclipse was a partial one, with a maximum of about 65% of theSun covered.
5of the Western Cape, North West, Witwatersrand, Free State, Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa.The astronomical and space facilities, such as SAAO, Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory(HartRAO) and Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO) also participate in the programme.According to Prof. Charles, South Africa has some first-rate people in astrophysics and space physics,but they are thinly spread among several universities and national facilities. “NASSP pools these skills bybasing the programme at a single institution.” Lecturers from outside of Cape Town present intensive3- to 4-week courses at the University of Cape Town (UCT). In 2008 NASSP hosted lecturers from theUnited States of America (USA), thanks to the USA National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) andfinancial support from the Kellogg Foundation.Part of the NASSP objective is to create an African network of astronomers. Starting all the studentstogether at a single institution, helps to achieve this objective. The NASSP students come from all overSouth Africa as well as from Botswana, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda,Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 2009 NASSP had its first African-American students fundedby the Kellogg Foundation through the NSBP.Approximately 27% of NASSP graduates are women, which is more than in other mathematical andphysical sciences in South Africa. However, only one or two black South Africans have been graduatingannually. To increase this number, an extended Honours programme was introduced in 2007, giving studentsan extra year at NASSP before they start the main Honours programme. Because of the intensive nature ofthe tuition and the cost of the course, only 10 students are accepted each year.The number of students undertaking PhDs in astronomy or space science has increased by a factor ofabout 10 since NASSP started.SALT: the central star in SAAO’s constellationSALT is the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere, and also the launch pad for many astronomy-related initiatives. It isthe magnet which attracts tourists to Sutherland and students to space science courses. It opens young people’s eyes to theopportunities in astronomy, and cements South Africa’s place in the front row of international astronomy.The NRF holds the largest share (33%) in the 13-member SALT consortium and has led the project on behalf of SouthAfrica since its inception. Since its inauguration in November 2005, SAAO has operated the telescope.Although it is still being commissioned, SALT has been delivering astronomical observations since 2006 when the “FirstScience with SALT” paper was published. Since then a further eight publications have appeared in the Institute for Scientific Information(ISI) refereed journals.SALT’s ability to observe rapidly variable stars is unmatched. Its “video-camera” data have shown remarkable changes in the brightnessof very close binary stars such as cataclysmic variables, X-ray binary stars and flare stars. The same capacity has captured exo-planetspassing in front of their parent stars, and moons passing in front of stars of the outer planets in our solar system.Not all is plain sailing through the cosmos with a state-of-the-art giant telescope like SALT, however. A number of problems,unanticipated by the construction team, have kept the SALT Technical Operations and SAAO engineering staff busy since SAAO took over theoperation of SALT. Essential features have also been added, such as the automated mirror cleaning system. “Our proudest moment, however,was diagnosing the cause of the most serious problem encountered so far, namely poor images of stars in parts of SALT’s field of view. Thesolution is well advanced,” recounts Prof. Charles.The early stream of data from SALT has already enhanced research projects across all sub-disciplines of astronomy involving internationalcollaborations with South African astronomers. Several local NASSP PhD students are harvesting data from SALT in support of their researchprojects. And all this is only the beginning.The KELT dome– the KilodegreeExtremely LittleTelescope – atSALT.
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National Research Foundation Annual Report 2008 / 2009 [Part 2]

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