5025 x 3363 px | 42,5 x 28,5 cm | 16,8 x 11,2 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
23 marzo 2008
Altre informazioni:
South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the national center for optical infrared astronomy in South Africa. It was established in 1972. The observatory is run by South Africa's National Research Foundation. The facility's function is to conduct research in astronomy and astrophysics. The primary telescopes are located in Sutherland, which is a four hour drive from Observatory, Cape Town, which is where the headquarters is located. The SAAO has international links worldwide that exchange scientific and technological collaboration. Contributions from the South African Astronomical Observatory to the science field include the development of a spherical aberration corrector and the Southern African Large Telescope, otherwise known as SALT, which was inaugurated in November 2005. Much research as been done with the telescope including investigation of black holes and polar stars. The SAAO started when the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope was founded in 1820, the first scientific institution in Africa. Construction of the main buildings were completed in 1829 at a cost of £30, 000.00. The post of Her Majesty's astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope was awarded the Royal Medal on two occasions; the first to Thomas Maclear in 1869 for measurement of an arc of the meridian at the Cape of Good Hope and the second to David Gill in 1903 for researches in solar and stellar parallax, and his energetic direction of the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope. During the 1970’s, the Republic Observatory in Johannesburg and the Radcliffe Observatory in Pretoria merged with the much older Royal Observatory to form the South African Astronomical Observatory. SAAO was established in January 1972 as a result of a joint agreement by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa and Scientific and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of United Kingdom. The headquarters are located on the grounds of the old Royal Observatory
