On the evening of August 24, a bright object traveling fast in the upper atmosphere had thousands of people mesmerised. It was spotted by many in the Gauteng province of South Africa but was visible further North into Limpopo and Zimbabwe. At first we didn’t know what it was. ☄️BREAKING: SA Astronomical Observatory confirms large … Read more
The community is growing, and we are glad to welcome a new member to the professional astronomy community in Africa. Marc Yao, from the Ivory Coast is about to graduate with his OhD in Astrophysics from the University of the Western Cape. The University is celebrating along with Marc. Congratulations! Rad the full article on … Read more
African science has a long history – just like the Calcium Copper Silicate also known as Egyptian Blue that was used as a blue pigment, discovered and chemically synthesised by ancient Egyptians from about 4600 years ago. That blue pigment was used, among other things, to give colour to the ancient goddess Nut, who represented … Read more
The International Astronomical Union recently held its elections for members to lead the various scientific bodies organised as divisions and commissions. Drs Lucia Marchetti and Carolina Odman, both members of the Education, Outreach and Communications Sub-Committee were elected to Division J “Galaxies and Cosmology” and Commission C2 “Communicating Astronomy to the Public”. We congratulate them … Read more
Quoted from the African Astronomical Society: We recently learned, with great sadness, that Prof Habatwa Mweene passed away. He succumbed to COVID-19 on 21 June 2021. This is a tremendous loss for the community and he will be remembered for his contributions to the development of the fields of Physics and Astronomy in Zambia and … Read more
Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Summit 14 – 18 June 2021: AfAS-IAU-OAD session on Africa-EU Astronomy Collaborations: “Towards the First IAU-General Assembly on the African Continent in 2024, and Beyond” taking place on 16 June 2021 (9:00am – 11:00am CAT/CEST) The Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Summit will be held virtually from June 14 to June 18, … Read more
The International Astronomical Union, which has been in existence for over 100 years, is the world’s largest body of professional astronomers. Every three years it holds a General Assembly, bringing together astronomers from around the world. This meeting will take place for the first time on the African continent in 2024. Cape Town has been … Read more
25 May 2021 – Dear colleagues and friends Africa day – an opportunity to imagine! We are three short years away from Africa hosting the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in 2024. This meeting, arguably one of the biggest on the astronomy conference calendar, will draw the attention of the global astronomy community … Read more
Cape Town, 26 May 2021 — The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) and the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) have signed a five-year partnership Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that sees the two collaborating towards bringing together complementary resources, networks and expertise to advance development through astronomy throughout the African Continent. “We are pleased to formalise an existing … Read more
In this great interview, Dr. Takalana, who also coordinates the African Astronomical Society Secretariat, shares his passion for the stars and the spirit of inquiry that has drive him to reach a PhD in Astronomy. He, like so many in his position, is working very hard at spreading the benefits of astronomy to the people. … Read more