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31 January 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Earl Slipher
Mars
One of the first colour photographs of Mars, taken through the lens of the Lamont-Hussey telescope in 1939. The telescope was restored and is currently on display at the Naval Hill Planetarium.

In 2018 the University of the Free State (UFS) launched the historic 27-inch Lamont-Hussey Refractor telescope exhibit together with the completed observation platform and a garden in front of the Naval Hill Planetarium in Bloemfontein.

The re-installation of the telescope as a static outdoor exhibition at Naval Hill is now complete. The project started several years ago after the recovery of abandoned parts of the old telescope. What followed was a story of trial, patience, careful planning and a lot of hard work.

 

Taking it apart

According to Dawid van Jaarsveld from the UFS Department of Physics, the mounting and tube of the Lamont telescope has returned to its home, the Lamont-Hussey Observatory, for display. The telescope had 47 years of service and years of abandonment in the veld after it was taken apart in 1975.

Its former telescope dome now hosts the Naval Hill Planetarium, the first digital planetarium in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The telescope was taken apart after the observatory was closed in 1974. It was dismantled and the optics were sent back to the University of Michigan with the largest pieces “left for dead in the veld” on the grounds of the Ehrlichpark Fire Station.

According to Dr Hendrik van Heerden from the UFS Department of Physics, who assisted in the technical side of re-installing the telescope, the larger pieces were recovered by Braam van Zyl and subsequently moved into the museum hanger of the Bloemfontein Fire Brigade where they stayed for many years.

 

Contribution to science

The University of Michigan in the US built the Lamont-Hussey Observatory between 1926 and 1928 in Bloemfontein for the study of double stars. The telescope had great historic significance and was used by professional astronomer RA Rossiter from Michigan, who set the record for discovering and measuring more than 5 000 double stars. The planetarium also measured the most double stars in the world, more than 7 000.

Van Jaarsveld describes a double star – also known as a binary star system – as two stars orbiting around one another. Studies of double stars enable researchers to determine the mass of stars.

Earl Slipher used the telescope to take one of the very first colour photographs of Mars in 1939. Slipher took 60 000 photos of Mars in 1939, 1954 and 1956 with the telescope. He was the world expert on the planet at the time. The camera Slipher used is displayed in the Boyden Observatory museum just outside Bloemfontein.

 

Putting it together

Van Heerden continues: “In early 2017 the components [of the telescope] were relocated to Dukoc Manufacturing in Bloemfontein for cleaning, treatment and painting. It took a while, as the missing components had to be manufactured before the final painting could be completed. The missing pieces were made with the help of the original blueprints of the telescope, provided by Prof Patrick Seitzer of the University of Michigan.

“These blueprints, along with measurements taken from the cleaned parts at Dukoc Manufacturing were used by Barend Crous, UFS Head of Instrumentation, to develop and manufacture the missing parts. These include the polar axis (solid steel axle over 3 m long and weighing more than one ton), axis-bearing caps (cast-iron pieces weighing more than 100 kg and 200 kg respectively) and telescope position wheels and gear works. After the required components were manufactured and refurbished, they were relocated to the Naval Hill Planetarium for the launch ceremony which was held on 5 June 2018.

“Planning of the installation of the telescope thereafter started in earnest. The jigsaw had to be put together again. The sheer size of the parts required some heavy equipment during the installation. With hard work, good coordination and a bit of luck, a team consisting of myself as project coordinator and consultant, Barend Crous, site engineer; Innes Basson, supervisor; Denver de Koker, handyman; and Wikus Storm, welder, got the job done,” Dr Van Heerden said.

 

Information sessions

Astronomy enthusiasts, tourists, school groups and other members of the public can now visit the Lamont-Hussey telescope with it finally back home after many years of neglect and abandonment in the veld. It can again hold itself high, looking at the stars.

The official opening of the telescope will take place on 26 April 2019 and Prof Seitzer from the University of Michigan will attend the opening event.

The refurbishment of the old telescope and the establishment of the new garden and observing platform were made possible by a R1 million donation by ArcelorMittal.

News Archive

#Women'sMonth: PSP provides scholarly support system for Prof Wilson-Strydom
2017-08-17

Description: Merridy Wilson-Strydom Tags: National Research Foundation, Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom, Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development, Prestige Scholars Programme, writing retreats, higher education literature 

Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom loves asking questions and
therefore has a strong focus on research.
She also enjoys supervising PhD students.
Photo: Sonia Small


Publishing her first book and receiving a rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) are career highlights for Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom. As an emerging scholar, the Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP) of the University of the Free State (UFS) played an important role in reaching these goals. 

According to the Associate Professor in the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development, the PSP provided an important scholarly support system, both through the coordinators and the other researchers who are part of the programme.

Writing retreats made book possible
“I found the support and advice provided during the process of applying for funding and rating really helpful,” she says about receiving a NRF C2 rating, based on her work over the past eight years.
She compliments the PSP writing retreats, which “provided a wonderful space for writing and it was during the writing retreats that I did a lot of the writing for my book that was published by Routledge in 2015.” Her book, University Access and Success: Capabilities, Diversity and Social Justice, moving back into academia from institutional research, working closely with undergraduate students as research participants, and postgraduate supervision, are all highlights of her work.

Her book makes a valuable contribution to higher education literature related to access and transition to universities. But, contrary to the mainstream approaches to access which rely on school performance and admissions tests, she poses the issue of social justice at the centre of the analysis.

Student project produces E-book
Another project headed by her and funded by the NRF Thuthuka Programme, was a study to understand the lives of 40 undergraduate students (on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus) who attended township high schools. The study had a particular focus on identifying institutional practices that either enable or constrain students’ capabilities for success in undergraduate study.

One of the outputs was the writing of an E-book called In our own words: Perspectives on being a student. It was written by 30 undergraduate students and the purpose was to provide a platform for students to tell their own stories about life as a student. 

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