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The African Astronomical Society (AfAS)

is a Pan-African Professional Society of Astronomers.

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This month @africaastronomy is celebrating women i

This month @africaastronomy is celebrating women in Astronomy. Meet Dr Elizabeth Nalumisa, a postdoctoral fellow at the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT); she is also an elected member of the Executive Committee of @africaastronomy.

We look forward to welcoming the world to Africa i

We look forward to welcoming the world to Africa in 2024. We have come a long way… In 2024 the IAU GA will take place in Cape Town. This is for the first time that this meeting will be hosted in Africa in the 103 years history of the IAU.

It’s time for Africa!

Today is the final day of the #iauga2022 in Busan.

Today is the final day of the #iauga2022 in Busan. Our African community gathered for a group photo. We look forward to the closing ceremony, where the flag will be officially handed over to South Africa to host the meeting in Cape Town in 2024.

Visitors to our booth can scan the QR codes on scr

Visitors to our booth can scan the QR codes on screen to learn more about our partners and supporters at the @astronomy2024 exhibition. @dsigovza @saao_astro @saraoweb
@africansciencestars @africanplanetarium

We are all set for the start of the XXXI Internati

We are all set for the start of the XXXI International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Busan, South Korea. Our exhibition showcases astronomy in Africa as the host for the XXXII IAU GA in 2024 In Cape Town, South Africa.

Over 6 months ago the #JWST was launched and over

Over 6 months ago the #JWST was launched and over the last day we have had the privilege of seeing its first colour images. Congratulations to @NASAWebb @europeanspaceagency @canadianspaceagency for the deepest & sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever taken

The latest issue of the African Science Stars maga

The latest issue of the African Science Stars magazine (by @africansciencestars) is now out. You can read the full latest edition online or download it as a PDF. Visit the link below:

https://issuu.com/africansciencestars/docs/african_science_stars_issue_3

We hope you enjoy it!

Reminder to join us for our webinar today on the G

Reminder to join us for our webinar today on the Galactic Centre Black Hole image from the EHT.

This starts at 1200 GMT (14:00 CAT).

Zoom registration link: https://bit.ly/3wWPRuO

YouTube live: https://bit.ly/3NMoN6P

You will need to pre-register for a personal zoom link. You can also see the webinar live on youtube instead.

We are very happy to announce a public webinar on

We are very happy to announce a public webinar on the recently released image of the black hole in the centre of our Galaxy by the Event Horizon Telescope. This epochal image was everywhere in the media and all of us would like to know more about it, and what it represents. This webinar on the black hole image is being organised by the African Astronomical Society and the Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa. Please share this with your colleagues and friends.

What: "The First Image of the Black Hole at our Galactic Centre"
When: 3 June 2022, Friday; 1400 CAT (1200 UTC)

Zoom registration link: https://bit.ly/3wWPRuO
YouTube live: https://bit.ly/3NMoN6P

You will need to pre-register for a personal zoom link (see above). You can also see the webinar live on youtube (see link above) instead.

The astrophysicists who will speak at the webinar are
Michael Backes (UNAM, Namibia)
Roger Deane (Wits & UP, SA)
Iniyan Natarajan (Wits, SARAO, Rhodes, SA)
Jeandrew Brink (UFS, SA)

We hope you can all join us for what is going to be an awesome event!

Total lunar eclipse 16 May 2022: We will be able

Total lunar eclipse 16 May 2022:

We will be able to see a total lunar eclipse on the morning of the 16th from all across Africa. We can see a longer duration of it in the western part compared to the eastern part.

For more info, including an interactive map where you can get the timings for your location,
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2022-may-16
and
http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/lunar_eclipses/xLE_GoogleMap3.php?Ecl=+20220516&Acc=2&Lat=12.72608&Lng=37.78106&Zoom=3

The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) invites ap

The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) invites applications for the AfAS-2022 MSc and PhD Prizes to recognise and reward the outstanding accomplishments achieved by academically talented African students who recently defended their Master's or PhD thesis in the field of Astronomy (including Astrophysics & Space Science). A total of 8 prizes (4 MSc, 4 PhD) to be shared over 4 African regions (North, South, East, and West Africa) will be conferred each year with a cash prize of $400 for an MSc and $800 for a PhD award, respectively.

Application deadline: 09 May 2022

All applications must be submitted online visit the link below for information:
https://www.africanastronomicalsociety.org/afas-2022-msc-and-phd-prizes/

South Africa's first locally produced digital plan

South Africa's first locally produced digital planetarium film, Rising Star, goes international!

Rising Star offers the viewer an engaging and fully immersive 360-degree or fulldome glimpse into the world of South African Astronomy. Since its premiere in October 2020, the 24-minute film has been shown to audiences of all ages at planetaria across South Africa and at the Melbourne 'Dome Under' fulldome festival (in December 2021). Rising Star was supported by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), the South African RadioAstronomy Observatory (SARAO), and the University of Cape Town, and was produced by the South African based company VR Capture.

International audiences and planetaria are now able to download Rising Star from ESO's free fulldome content database: https://www.eso.org/public/videos/rising-star/

For more information on Rising Star and the international release, please see ESO's press release here: https://supernova.eso.org/news/announcements/ann22004/

The James Webb Space Telescope @NASAWebb will be l

The James Webb Space Telescope @NASAWebb will be launched on 22 Dec. Why are astronomers super excited about JWST? Join us to find out why, on 10 Dec at 1300 GMT/UTC.
Zoom registration: bit.ly/afasjwst
Youtube live: bit.ly/afasjwstyt

Latest issue of the African Astronomical Society (

Latest issue of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) Newsletter (July 2021).

Covered in this issue:

- AfAS2021: Inaugural Conference of the African Astronomical Society

- The 6th East African Astronomical Society Workshop (EAASW)

- Memorandum of Agreement between the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) and the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) to Strengthen Development through Astronomy in Africa.

- Announcement of AfAS 2021 Seed Research Grant laureates

- Introduction to the African Network of Women in Astronomy (AfNWA-AfAS)

- Africa Planetarium Association Meeting Report

- AfAS early career working group

The Newsletter is also available at: https://www.africanastronomicalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2021/07/AfAS-Newsletter-09-JULY-2021_smaller.pdf

Mars-Venus conjunction - multilingual posters The

Mars-Venus conjunction - multilingual posters

The planets Venus and Mars are moving closer to each other as seen in the western sky just after sunset. Their closest approach is on 13th July. The moon also gets close to them on 12th July. These are all naked eye events and we invite everyone to see it for themselves.

We have made a poster for this event, aimed at the general public, in partnership with many amateur astronomy associations in Africa. This has also been translated in English, Arabic, French, Kiswahili, Malagasy, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Yoruba and Tswana.

Please forward these to your friends and family and enjoy the conjunction!

Translations done by Zeyneb Aissani and Merouane Alikhoudja of Algeria (Arabic), Ricaud Auckbur of Mauritius (French), Noorali Jiwaji of Tanzania (Kiswahili), Mializo Razanakoto of Madagascar (Malagasy), Buzani Khumalo of South Africa (isiZulu), and Siyambonga Matshawule of South Africa (isiXhosa). A big thank you to them all.

Please circulate these widely to friends and family, and we hope you have a good conjunction!

Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST

Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda in conjunction with the Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik (MPA) and Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (TLS), Germany and the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA), Portugal are pleased to announce a Sub-Saharan Africa Astronomy Summer School to be held in Entebbe, Uganda from 6th to 17th September 2021.

The school will focus on three fields of scientific research, namely: galaxies, extra-solar planet science, and stellar interior physics. More details can be found at https://wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/conf/ssaass2021/

Students and young professionals from the senior undergraduate to doctoral level, are welcome to apply for this school. Preference will be given to students in their early career, MSc/PhDs from sub-saharan countries.

Acceptance to the school includes a studentship that covers transportation to and from Uganda, and full boarding at the conference venue. All selected students are expected to commit 100% of their time to the school and participate in all scheduled activities.

Applications can be made at https://wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/conf/ssaass2021/#Apply

Applications Open: April 1st, 2021

Deadline for application: May 31st, 2021

Kindly note that the deadline for abstract submiss

Kindly note that the deadline for abstract submission for the inaugural AfAS Annual Conference (AfAS2021) has been extended until Sunday, 31 January 2021. Abstracts for the Conference will be considered in the following tracks: 1) Scientific 2)Education, Development, and Outreach

The conference will take place from 8 to 12 March 2021.

Register now: https://www.africanastronomicalsociety.org/afas2021/

Registration for the AfAS2021 virtual conference i

Registration for the AfAS2021 virtual conference is open. The inaugural AfAS Annual Conference will be held as a fully virtual meeting from the 8th-12th March 2021.
Register now: https://africanastronomicalsociety.org/afas2021/

New years message from AfAS #africa #astronomyina

New years message from AfAS
#africa #astronomyinafrica #africanastronomicalsociety #AfAS2021

You can build a simple pin-hole box to see the 21

You can build a simple pin-hole box to see the 21 June eclipse from home - u just need a cardboard box, paper ... and thats it!

To download the eclipse handbook, the poster series, the android app and more, visit https://www.africanastronomicalsociety.org/solar-eclipse-2020/

#EclipseAfrica2020 #SolarEclipse2020 #AnnularSolarEclipse2020 #AfricaAstronomy #eclipse #astronomy #space #solareclipse #science #africa #astronomyoutreach #amateurastronomy #africa
@iau100 @iau_org @astronomerswithoutbordersorg

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