HartRAO Home

HartRAO Home > news > National Women's Day at HartRAO 2005/08/09

National Women's Day at HartRAO 2005/08/09


Tuesday 9th August was National Women's Day in South Africa. Courtesy of sponsorship by SAASTA, a busload of female learners from seven schools in the Brits area of the Northwest Province spent the day at HartRAO. The visit was hosted by astronomer Sharmila Goedhart, geodesist Marisa Nickola, and educators Themba Siganagana and Sheila Padi.

Marisa Nickola also acted as a photographer, and a selection of her photo's are shown below to capture the action.

rocket1
Click on image for LARGE version
Rocket launching is always popular. Here a 2-litre cooldrink bottle loaded with propellant is attached to the launcher.

rocket2
Click on image for LARGE version
Some muscle power is also need to get the rocket pumped up for action.

sundial
Click on image for LARGE version
Sharmila demonstrates how easy it is to tell the time using the Sun.

wheel1
Click on image for LARGE version
Themba shows the learners how to grasp the concept of angular momentum.

wheel2
Click on image for LARGE version
The audience are highly amused at reaction to the weird sensation of the spinning wheel.

sunspots
Click on image for LARGE version
Sharmila explains that the Sun is just a star - and shows that we can see sunspots bigger than the Earth on its surface.

whisper1
Click on image for LARGE version
Sharmila has the girls communicating with whisper dishes instead of cellphones.

whisper2
Click on image for LARGE version
The audience at the other whisper dish are greatly entertained.

orrery
Click on image for LARGE version
Sharmila uses the orrery to show how the Earth and Moon orbit the Sun.

control room
Click on image for LARGE version
Marisa explains how she runs the telescope as part of a network of radio telescopes across the Earth.

control room
Click on image for LARGE version
The visitors in front of the 26-m diameter radio telescope.