• Science

Science possibilities grows for Namibia

- 2022-05-26 09:16:00

With plans to setup the first millilmetre telescope in Namibia, the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT), the team would also like to give back to Namibians.
According to Dr Marc Klein Wolt, Managing Director at the Radboud RadioLab and AMT Project Director from Radboud University in The Netherlands, the telescope will form an essential link in the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Network. “This provides unique science opportunities for Namibia. The social and economic impact is further enhanced by setting up an education and outreach programme and boosting innovation and spin offs in Namibia,” he said. By donating 80% of the observing time to Namibia, the project team tries to maximise the impact the AMT has on the country.
Asked why Namibia specifically was chosen for the AMT to be set up, and not a country more north, Wolt explained that Namibia had the perfect weather conditions as well as the flattest surface in the Gamsberg mountains. “We need an area that is mostly dry and we need a flat surface,” he said.
While the Gamsberg mountains is their first choice, they are also considering the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) site. “To access the Gamsberg mountains, roads will need to be constructed and after the rains Namibia had earlier this year, the road that was there is no longer accessible,” he said.
Wolt would like the project to start within the next 2 years. “Before we can start we will need to refurbish the decommissioned telescope currently in Chile and it will take some time to set up it in Namibia.”
The team aims to make a positive social and economic impact on Namibia. Not only will this create a gateway for Namibian astronomers to the world class science undertaken within the EHT project but more opportunities are available. The AMT project will have a dedicated training network and exchange program for Namibian scientist, and for the construction and maintenance of the AMT a significant contribution is foreseen from Namibian partners. “To train and engage the next generation of engineers and scientist the AMT project is implementing an education and outreach program with dedicated Namibian partners which involves a mobile planetarium,” Wolt added.
The mobile planetarium was launched in the capital last week and aims to acts as inspiration to especially children of all ages. “We want to give back. We want to leave Namibia with something remarkable and if maybe, it inspires a small child today to become a scientist or astronomer, then my job is done,” Wolt said.
The planetarium is an inflatable dome, making it easy to transport to reach more schools and students. On the inside of the dome, interactive images of the night sky and can be projected. One can look at the Earth, the moon, sun and planets, but also zoom out to see other stars, galaxies and other interesting phenomena. It can easily be adapted to fit the age, knowledge and interests of the audience, which makes it an ideal tool for the usage in schools. The dome is large enough to fit a whole class, has its own power supply and is suitable for in- and outdoor locations.
Wolt refers to this project as a lighthouse project. “People are drawn to it. They want to be part of it and they want to contribute.” For him, this will mean more training and learning opportunities with the added hope for more projects to also come to Namibia.