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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

Five times unbeaten
2011-12-14

 
The UFS tennis team won the goldprize at this year's USSA-tournament.

For the fifth time in a row, the tennis team of the University of the Free State (UFS) won gold at the tennis championships of the University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament. The tournament was held from Monday 5 December 2011 till Friday 9 December 2011 at the University of Stellenbosch, where 21 teams from 18 tertiary academic institutions participated.

After the USSA tournament, four Kovsie players were included in a training group to take part in training camps, tournaments and trials in preparation of the Confederation of University and College Sport Association (CUCSA) Games to be held in Namibia in 2012. These four students, namely Duke Monro, Christi Potgieter, Elizna Barnard and Este Portgieter, were also selected for the training group to the World Student Games (Universiade) in Russia in 2013.

In 2010, six of the players from the UFS were included in the South African team to the CUCSA Games in Botswana. This year the UFS produced three players to the Universiade in China.

The coach and team manager of the Kovsie team, Marnus Kleinhans and Janine de Kock, were also appointed coach and manager of the South African Student team to the CUCSA and World Student Games for the next two years.

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