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Public Visits ONLY will be held at the the Hartebeesthoek site of the South Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) until further notice

Visiting the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory


Maybe you have wondered*

Why not visit us and ask the questions to which you would like answers!
Here's how:

School and Group Visits to HartRAO

there will be no School and/or Group Visits to HartRAO until further notice

Not only is astronomy fascinating in its own right, but we demonstrate connections to basic science and technology, and explain astronomical concepts that appear in the school syllabus. Visits to the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory are a hands-on and minds-on, fun learning experience.

Note that all visits must be booked in advance.


Public Visits at HartRAO

We hold public visits on Friday evenings once per month. These are guided tours which run from 17h00 to 20h00. Booking in advance is essential as numbers are strictly limited.

Educator Workshops on Astronomy

We welcome visits from educators and trainee educators from Colleges of Education and Universities.

In addition, we hold educator workshops that are specifically designed to assist educators in understanding and presenting astronomy- and space-related topics using the methods of Outcomes Based Education. These workshops are held at venues that are easy to get to for educators in specific areas.

Where is HartRAO?

Need more Information?

For more information about visiting, phone 012 301-3100 or fax 012 301-3300
or e-mail the science awareness team at: visit@hartrao.ac.za

Picture Gallery

Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

JCE students JCE viewing
Geography students from the
Johannesburg College of Education
JCE students observe the double star Alpha Centauri
launch sunspots
Action and reaction -
a successful air/water rocket launch
Are those spots on the Sun or dust on the lens?
Demonstration at a science fair in Johannesburg

We are members of SAASTEC, the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres.


*And here are answers to some of the questions that began this page:

Twinkly things in the night sky? They are stars like the Sun; planets do not twinkle unless close to the horizon.
Moon shaped like a banana? The Sun always lights up half of the Moon. How much of that half we can see depends on where the Moon is in its orbit around the Earth.
Sun hot, moon not? The temperature of the Sun's surface is nearly 6000 degrees, more than twenty times hotter than the Moon.
How far are the stars?
What does a radio telescope "see"?
What was the Big Bang and why can radio telescopes can see its last glow?