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UFS and DESTEA partnering to promote astro-tourism in the Free State

18 November 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs

Navil Hill Planetarium — At the Naval Hill Planetarium, one of only two in the world that is located in a game reserve in the middle of a city, are from the left, front: Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement, Tony Horn, Dr Molapo Qhobela, Dorah Klaas from UFS Institutional Advancement, Motheo Leeuw, and Prof Matie Hoffman.

Just over 11 years ago, the University of the Free State (UFS), the Mangaung Metro Municipality, and the Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding that focused on the development and establishment of the Naval Hill Planetarium. In 2016, the partnership was extended to include the establishment of a facility for environmental education adjacent to the planetarium. Thus, the site on Naval Hill, Bloemfontein is now the Centre for Earth and Space.

Recently, colleagues from the UFS and DESTEA, as well as Free State tourism entrepreneurs, gathered at the planetarium and Boyden Observatory to discuss the next step in this partnership – a collaboration to bring astro-tourism to the Free State.

Astro-tourism facilities

Tourism Registrar at DESTEA, Motheo Leeuw, said in his welcome address that,in order to increase the number of visitors to the Free State, it is important to work together. “We are creating a new product, that of astro-tourism,” he stated, and requested the tour guides who attended the event to develop an innovative new product for their market.

Speaking on behalf of the UFS, Dr Molapo Qhobela, Vice-Rector: Institutional Change, Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact, stated that astro-tourism holds enormous potential for this country. He said the UFS is excited to be a partner in this initiative.

Dr Qhobela said he believes the beauty of science can be used to promote astro-tourism. He echoed Leeuw’s sentiment, stating that it is only through partnerships that astro-tourism will become a reality. “If we want to drive astro-tourism, we need to find creative ways to connect with each other,” he stated.

“We must work together to make our home, Bloemfontein, a better place,” he said.

A taste of astro-tourism

About 30 delegates, including the UFS, DESTEA, military representatives, and tour guides from Bloemfontein and Clarence, gained first-hand experience of the potential of astro-tourism. They attended a full-dome pre-rendered astronomy show and a presentation on the night sky in the Naval Hill Planetarium, where images were projected onto the planetarium dome, resulting in an immersive experience of the wonder of the universe. The tour guides proceeded on a game drive in the Franklin Game Reserve on Naval Hill.

Later in the afternoon – after enjoying a sunset view of the environment at the Boyden Observatory – guests were introduced to the observatory, including its telescopes and the Astronomy Museum. Prof Matie Hoffman, Dr Mart-Mari Duvehage, and Dawid van Jaarsveldt from the Department of Physics at the UFS, were on hand to conduct the tour of the observatory, and Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement, hosted the guests.

Tony Horn, a tour guide from Bush Junkies Adventure Safaris – one of the guests at the event – is optimistic about the potential of this initiative. He said he will bring visitors to Boyden and the planetarium to experience the attractions.

The Two-Observatories Project

The Boyden Observatory and the Naval Hill Planetarium are known as the Two-Observatories Project, which will be the focus of astro-tourism in the Free State. Focus areas of the Two Observatories Project are science communication and education, research, astronomy heritage, and the environment. The project therefore has great potential to attract tourists.

According to Prof Hoffman, the two observatories work in synergy to educate and inform citizens about the natural sciences. They are also important for the display of and communication about South Africa’s astronomical heritage.

In addition to being an active optical research site, Boyden Observatory is ideal for public lectures and star-gazing events. Educational programmes, including observations with telescopes, are also presented at the observatory. An astronomy museum is a major attraction at Boyden.

The Naval Hill Planetarium, also a good venue for public lectures and concerts, offers planetarium shows, including full-dome films. The site also offers a large hall that is primarily used for environmental education. These facilities operate under the banner of the Free State Centre for Earth and Space.

News Archive

UFS to host one of three world summits on crystallography

2014-04-15

Prof André Roodt from the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS), co-unveiled a special plaque in Poznan, Poland, as president of the European Crystallographic Association, with prof Gautam Desiraju, president of the IUCr (front right) and others to commemorate the Nobel prize winner Max von Laue. (Photo's: Milosz Ruszkowski, Grzegorz Dutkiewicz)

Prof André Roodt from the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS), co-unveiled a special plaque in Poznan, Poland, as president of the European Crystallographic Association, to commemorate the Nobel prize winner Max von Laue at a special Laue Symposium organised by prof Mariusz Jaskolski from the A. Mickiewicz University in Poznan.

Max von Laue, who spent his early childhood in Poznan, was the first scientist to diffract X-rays with a crystal.

2014 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Crystallography, and it was recently officially opened at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, by the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon. The International Year of Crystallography celebrates the centennial of the work of Max von Laue and the father and son, William Henry and William Laurence Bragg.

As part of the celebrations, Prof Roodt, president of the European Crystallographic Association, one of the three regional affiliates (Americas, Europe and Africa; Asia and Australasia) of the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), was invited by the president of the IUCr, Prof Gautam Desiraju, to host one of the three world summits, wherein crystallography is to showcase its achievements and strategise for the future.

The summit and conference will take place on the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS from 12 to 17 October 2014 and is titled: 'Crystallography as vehicle to promote science in Africa and beyond.' It is an ambitious meeting wherein it is anticipated to bring the French-, English- and Arab-speaking nations of Africa together to strategise how science can be expanded, and to offer possibilities for this as nestled in crystallography. Young and established scientists, and politicians associated with science and science management, are the target audience to be brought together in Bloemfontein.

Dr Thomas Auf der Heyde, acting Director General of the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST), has committed some R500 000 for this effort, while the International Union of Crystallography provided R170 000.

“Crystals and crystallography form an integrated part of our daily lives, form bones and teeth, to medicines and viruses, new catalysts, jewellery, colour pigments, chocolates, electronics, batteries, metal blades in airplane turbines, panels for solar energy and many more. In spite of this, unfortunately, not many people know much about X-ray crystallography, although it is probably one of the greatest innovations of the twentieth century. Determining the structure of the DNA was one of the most significant scientific events of the 20th century. It has helped understand how genetic messages are being passed on between cells inside our body – everything from the way instructions are sent to proteins to fight infections, to how life is reproduced.

“At the UFS, crystallography finds application in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Geology, Engineering and the Medical fields. Crystallography is used by the Curiosity Rover, analysing the substances and minerals on Mars!

“The UFS’s Departments of Chemistry and Physics, in particular, have advanced instruments and important research thrusts wherein X-ray crystallography has formed a central part for more than 40 years.

“Crystallography has produced some 28 Nobel prize winners over the past 100 years and continues to provide the means for fundamental and applied research,” said Prof Roodt.

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