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15 June 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
from the left: Dieter Schwab and Alex Reither from Sky-Skan, and Prof Matie Hoffman, Barry Crous (Instrumentation), and Pat van Heerden (Department of Physics) from the UFS
During the installation of the new computer and projector equipment at the Naval Hill Planetarium, were from the left: Dieter Schwab and Alex Reither from Sky-Skan, and Prof Matie Hoffman, Barry Crous (Instrumentation), and Pat van Heerden (Department of Physics) from the UFS.

The Naval Hill Planetarium at the Centre for Earth and Space on Naval Hill was inaugurated on 1 November 2013. It was the first digital planetarium in Africa south of the Sahara. 

The Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) is responsible for the Naval Hill Planetarium (formerly the Lamont-Hussey Observatory). The department uses the planetarium to educate and inform citizens about the natural sciences. The planetarium, together with the Boyden Observatory, is also important for the display and communication of South Africa’s astronomical heritage.

The planetarium system was recently upgraded in a project that cost R6 million. According to Prof Matie Hoffman from the Department of Physics, it was time to upgrade the computers and graphic cards, and to replace the lamp projectors with laser projectors.

Funding for the state-of-the-art equipment came from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICT Services) at the university. Businesses in Bloemfontein – First Technology and Raubex Construction – also contributed to the project. 

Presenting programmes more often

Planetarium specialists Dieter Schwab and Alex Reither from Sky-Skan Europe, based in Germany, installed the new equipment over a period of two weeks.

Prof Hoffman says the new equipment will enhance the experience of people visiting the planetarium for a close encounter with the wonders of the universe to deepen their appreciation of science and astronomy.

“Besides a clearer image with better colour, the new projectors will also be more economical to operate. This means we will be able to offer programmes at the planetarium more often,” he says. 

The upgrades also include new software. Prof Hoffman explains that the software will enable more sophisticated presentations and open the door to the use of the planetarium for higher level visualisation of scientific data where any large data sets with many variables are involved, such as climate science, astrophysics, and cosmology. 

Offering an incredible experience

After completion of the installation, a period of two weeks will be spent on training to master the use of the new equipment and the software. The public can expect the first show with the new equipment at the end of June. 

“I am most looking forward to the planetarium creating an incredible experience – better than in the past – for the public and increasing everyone's admiration and understanding of the universe. I also believe the planetarium is an excellent facility to improve students' skills in science communication, and it provides these students the opportunity to share their knowledge with the public,” concludes Prof Hoffman. 

News Archive

UFS’s Vishuis best residence rugby team in the country
2010-03-30

 
Steinhoff Vishuis, the Steinhoff Koshuis Rugby Champions for 2010.
Photo: Varsity Cup
 
Beyers Louw (with ball), left wing from Vishuis, is taken down in the finals of the Steinhoff Koshuis League agaisnt Dagbreek from Stellenbosch. Left are team mates Gerhard Meyer (No 8) and on the right is captain Jos de Klerk (flanker).
Photo: Varsity Cup

 
Boom Prinsloo from Shimlas.
Photo: Varsity Cup

 

On Monday, 29 March 2010, the University of the Free State’s (UFS) residence team in the Steinhoff Koshuis League, Steinhoff Vishuis, showed that they were the best university residence team in the country when they were crowned as the Steinhoff Koshuis Rugby Champions. Steinhoff Vishuis triumphed with 22-7 over the University of Stellenbosch’s Dagbreek. This match took place on the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.

The hero of the match was left wing Beyers Louw, who scored two of his team's tries and kicked two conversions as well as a penalty. That left him with 97 points, the player who scored the most points in the tournament.

Shimlas’s Boom Prinsloo was also named player of the Varsity Cup. In three of Shimlas’s eight matches he was named player of the match. With the seven tries that Boom scored during the tournament, he and Lola Waka from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) were also jointly named as the top scorers in the tournament.

This is the second consecutive year that a Kovsie team wins the residence competition of the Varsity Cup. Last year Armentum carried the crown as the best residence rugby team in the country.

Well done. The UFS is proud of you!

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