The finalists were Arethabeng from Soshanguve, Eunice from Bloemfontein, Pinelands North from Cape Town, Randfontein from western Gauteng and Williston from the Northern Cape.
This project was funded by SAASTA as a contribution to DST's astronomy platform month, and was ably managed by a SAASTA team.
Left click on image for large version. Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Roy Booth, HartRAO Director, with the Eunice girls and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom. An SABC cameraman strides past, as Beverley Damonse, Executive Director of SAASTA, chats to one of the Eunice girls. In the background is the HartRAO Visitors Centre, in which the competition was held.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Derek Hanekom quizzes the learners from Arethabeng on their astronomy knowledge. In the background, learners are firing air/water rockets, an alarming number of which were near misses on the Deputy Minister.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Deputy Minister Hanekom gave an inspiring and entertaining speech.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Derek Hanekom seen over the contestants from Williston.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
And the quiz is underway!
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Who got it right this time? Organiser Ina Roos and Beverley Damonse watch from by the windows.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
View from the back of the hall, with quiz mistress Tebogo Gule at the microphone. Each question produced intense debate from the audience as well as the contestants.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
The fascinated audience includes Roy Booth, Derek Hanekom, and new NRF President Mzamo Mangaliso.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Everyone agreed on the answer to this question.
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The end of the first round of ten questions, and the scorers confer behind Ina Roos and Beverley Damonse.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Round 1 was extremely close, with all teams scoring between 8 and 10 out of 10.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Round 2 and the tension is building.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
Round 2 was harder. Scored out of 8, the totals are now Arethabeng 14, Eunice 16, Pinelands North 14, Randfontein 13 and Williston 15. It remains neck and neck.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
The end of the final round and Beverley Damonse announces that we have a tie! Arethabeng and Randfontein are on 19, Williston on 21, and Eunice and Pinelands North are tied on 23. Now we have a sudden death shootout between Eunice and Pinelands North.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
The first tie-breaker - and both schools get it right!
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
In a nail-biting finish, Pinelands North gets the second tie-breaker right, but Eunice have it wrong. Pinelands North are the winners! Here spokesperson Stephanie gives an acceptance speech on behalf of the team.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
All of the contestants had a chance to stand and tell the audience a bit about themselves.
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The winning team of David and Allen Metcalf, Stephanie Thomas and Ivan Daniels from Pinelands North receive their individual prizes from Prof. Mangaliso of a pair of 7x50 binoculars and the book "Skywatching" by David Levy. The school prize is a 20cm (8") reflector telescope and accessories. TheSkySix Student Edition astronomy software was sponsored by Eridanus Optics in Tshwane.
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Credit M Gaylard / HartRAO
But in this contest, everyone was a winner, as each team to make it to the finals had come through four gruelling rounds of competition. The high scores achieved by every team in the final was a clear indication of this. In recognition of this, every competitor and their educator coaches received prizes, from Prof. Mangaliso.