Category Archives: Uncategorized

South Africa’s first locally produced digital planetarium film, Rising Star, goes international!

Rising Star offers the viewer an engaging and fully immersive 360-degree or fulldome glimpse into the world of South African Astronomy. Since its premiere in October 2020, the 24-minute film has been shown to audiences of all ages at planetaria across South Africa and at the Melbourne ‘Dome Under’ fulldome festival (in December 2021). Rising Star was […]

The 2nd Annual Conference and the General Assembly of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS-2022)

The 2nd Annual Conference and the General Assembly of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS-2022) Cape Town, South Africa, 10 March 2022— The second annual conference of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) will take place as a hybrid event from 14-18 March 2022. The conference will focus on the science, outreach, communication, and education activities from Astronomy […]

African Astronomical Society (AfAS): Membership Committee Recruitment

African Astronomical Society (AfAS): Membership Committee Recruitment Introduction The Membership Committee is a crucial sub-committee of AfAS, as we seek to grow the astronomy community on the continent.  It is essential that the Committee has sufficient members to enable it to work efficiently and effectively and to enable discussion concerning membership issues from a variety of […]

First ever African Women in Astronomy Award winners announced

First ever African Women in Astronomy Award winners announced Cape Town – 2 March 2022 Two exceptional women in science are being recognised by the inaugural awards of the African Network of Women in Astronomy. The early career award goes to Dr. Marie Korsaga, Burkina Faso’s first woman astronomer and the senior award goes to […]

Message about the Scientific Community in Ukraine

28 Feb 2022 The European Astronomical Society (EAS), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the American Astronomical Society (AAS), and the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) have been observing with great concern the events unfolding in Ukraine and fear the adverse consequences for the scientific community, our colleagues, and their families. We have been receiving reports of the dire circumstances they are […]

European Union-African Union Summit, Science and Innovation side events

14 – 18 February 2022 AfAS-EAS special session  The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) and European Astronomical Society (EAS) are pleased to inform you about the AfAS-EAS Special Session titled “Africa-Europe Agenda for collaboration and cooperation in Astronomy”, which will be taking place on 15 February 2022 at 09:00 (CET) / 10:00 (CAT) during the European Union-African […]

Call for Nominations to AfAS Executive Committee for the period 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2025

This notice is a call for nominations from the Astronomy Community of Africa for the election of Executive Committee Members for the three years commencing 1st April 2022. The nominations are for the following Officers of the Executive Committee: Seven (7) General Officers who will be elected at the General Assembly scheduled for March 2022. […]

Namibia to host first radio telescope in Africa that can detect millimetre wavelength radiation

 2 days ago (https://forumonline.unam.edu.na/namibia-to-host-first-radio-telescope-in-africa-that-can-detect-millimetre-wavelength-radiation/) John Haufiku  The Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) reflects starlight from the sky above La Silla, ESO’s original observatory. Though now decommissioned, SEST was the only large sub-millimetre telescope in the southern hemisphere at the time of its first light, and helped pave the way for APEX and ALMA. During its operations, the instrument SIMBA was installed on it, measuring radio waves and […]

UN General Assembly Proclaims International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development in 2022

The International Astronomical Union is one of several scientific unions and institutions who will coordinate the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD) in 2022, to promote the links between the basic sciences and the Sustainable Development Goals. We need more basic sciences to achieve Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. […]