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Astronomy Month 2004 October


Astronomy Month was celebrated at HartRAO by bringing many learners to the observatory. While many schools had already booked visits to the observatory for October, we were able to use the funding provided by The Department of Science and Technology (DST) through SAASTA to invite some of the disadvantaged schools around Krugersdorp and the Magaliesburg to come and celebrate this month with us. A number of bus trips were sponsored, each bus bringing four groups of fifteen learners and an educator from different schools. In addition, our educators also visited several rural schools in the areas around the observatory.

Each educator also received an Earth globe and an introductory astronomy book.

whisper dishes
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One of the learners from Adelaide Tambo, a school for handicapped, got the chance to use our whisper dishes and he was so surprised he said ngempela a ya sebenza la ma dish! meaning "These dishes are really working!"

turntable
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A learner from Mosupatsela High in Kagiso demonstrating the wobbling of our earth using the gyroscope under the supervision of staff educator Mzi Taele.

rocket
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Here a water bottle rocket is about to launch and learners at Schaumburg Combined are all waiting patiently to see how high it will go.

whisper dishes
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Having more fun using the whipser dishes.

handicapped
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A group of learners from a school for the handicapped in Soweto also came to our observatory and had a lot of fun using the whisper dishes and other activities.

Satellite laser ranger
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A group of schools from Muldersdrift area pose for a picture in front of the Satellite Laser Ranger.

at telescope
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Daphne Lekgwathi explaining to the learners about our Radio Telescope.

mini-planetarium
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Learners learning about different constellations in our mini planetarium.

sundial
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Asking the sun to tell us time using the sundial amazed all the learners.

turntable
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Learners from Adelaide Tambo got the chance to spin on our turntable.

coke cans
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A learner trying to figure out which planet has more gravity using the coke cans.

earth globe
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Since we are celebrating Astronomy Month some learners decided to pose for a picture with an earth globe in front of them.

launch
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Rocket launching can also be turned into a fun competition and the winners will get a splash of water.

visitors centre
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This group decided to have their picture taken in our beautiful Visitor's Centre.

turntable
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Sheila Padi having fun using the turntable with the learners at Rand Gold Tumelo Primary in Maanharand. As they were spinning like stars one of the learners said A ya sinda la ma weights! (These weights are heavy!)

rocket launching
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Rocket launching was the best activity to all learners never mind getting wet.


created November 2004 by Sheila Padi