Seeing your handiwork payoff is a reward and spending time with Tebogo and team at their astronomy day on the 19th and 20th of October were days like that.
Tebogo sent me an invite to attend the Astronomy Day at their science Centre in Madadeni township near Newcastle for the big unveiling of their Celestron CPC 800 XLT GPS with the Starbright XLT coating which was delivered personally on my previous visit. The official launch of their astronomy outreach program was to be held on the 20th of October and I made the interesting journey to Northern KwaZulu Natal, the roads are a living hell to say the least. I was booked into a quaint little guest house and after freshening up I made my way to the Science Centre where I met with Tebogo and some old familiar faces from my previous visit. Read here about the training and set up with Tebogo and her team. I also met with Marion and Simphiwe from SARAO Hartebeesthoek and you can read about my adventure at Hartbeeshoek here.
We discussed the proceeding for the following day and Celestron’s participation of whom I am a representative. We were hoping the weather would hold so that we could share the night sky with the community in Madadeni.
After my visit on the 19th, I kicked my feet up at the guest house, the usual luxuries applied and the shower took up almost an entire room, wonderful!
The next morning, I had a quick visit with a good friend Angus Burns who is a resident of Newcastle and a well-known conservationist and fellow astro photographer. It is always a pleasure to talk to Angus and the times we do are always cut short due to other responsibilities.
Into Madadeni I went and assisted with the setup and getting the team up to speed with the telescope set up routine. The telescope was funded by SAASTA through programmatic support grant intervention (PSGI), meant to support accredited science centers’ programs. Read here about the supply, training and set up of the telescope.
Then the delegates (I was a “delegate”) were ushered into the big top tent for a science presentation by the science center team, an interesting one where a Fibonacci sequence was used to determine a person’s’ birth date.
Messrs. Shadrack Mkansi who is the Manager, Science Awareness Platforms, SAASTA from the National Research Foundation and Oscar Kubheka, from the Amajuba Department of education delivered their welcoming speeches and gave encouraging words to the younger minds in our midst.
Finally, all pleasantries were done and Tebogo could say her bit on the astronomy program and unveil her telescope to the attendees, ribbon cutting ceremony included!
I was once again amazed by Tebogo’s unrelenting passion to bring science to anyone, anywhere.
We were treated to a traditional meal and there after started the setup of equipment in the forecourt.
An interesting dance routine by the Ingqayizivele AmaZulu Ngoma Dance Group led by Ubaba Mahlaba followed. The sound of the drums was deafening, and the the technique and rhythm of these performers was astonishing!
Simphiwe from SARAO did a presentation explaining the rotation of Earth and how it affects our seasons and sense of time. Simphiwe did a brilliant job keeping the young one’s attention with his unique way of telling a story to explain the science behind it all.
With evening fast approaching the clouds were also rolling in, the Astronomer’s arch enemy of course, but nevertheless we set up the telescope and I did a refresher on the alignment of the finderscope and then the alignment procedures. The quickest of which is the Solar System align procedure and the Moon being in a waxing phase was the perfect and easiest of subjects to demonstrate the procedure.
Solar system alignment complete Tebogo started gathering people around and employed the oldest trick in the book and that was to play real loud music and offer snack parcels and goodie bags for the kids to reel in the unwary passerby.
This technique worked very well and soon children of all ages were queuing up to observe the Moon through the telescope’s eye piece.
The cloudy weather didn’t dampen any enthusiasm from the attendees and Tebogo’s team alike and everyone played their role perfectly. The children especially were amazed and for most of them this was the first time glimpsing our natural satellite through a telescope and seeing craters and other features on the Moon up close.
As the evening rolled to a close, many kids were still excited to observe through the telescope and had to be hauled away so that the team could start packing away their equipment.
Soon Tebogo will take the team, and their telescope, to do some real outreach in the rural community and I am really looking forward to being part of their journey.
I had an amazing experience and seeing so many eager faces marvelling at the moon through the telescope made me realize that the path I have chosen is well worth the ride.
Our mission for the coming year is to bring astronomy to new audiences and in many new ways. Making it easier for people from all walks of life to experience the spectacular beauty of our night sky, waiting to be explored. To work closely with science centers and the public, and to make everyone aware of what lies in and beyond our solar system.
Always look up, and as Mr Spock says “live long and prosper.”
Frank Barbato
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