Learners reach for the stars at the botanical gardens
Astrological organisations collaborated on an eventful and informative day where learners were introduced to out of this world opportunities.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) collaborated with local astrology organisations and Wits University to give a large group of keen learners a day to remember.
Learners from Siyabonga Secondary School, Thulani Secondary School, Raymond Mhlaba Secondary School and Riverlea High School attended the event.
The African Astronomical Society, Sci-yenza, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) held an informative talk at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens to bring the learners a step closer to the stars.
The event began with a presentation on astronomy that showed the prominence of astronomy in our ancestor’s lives and how certain beliefs contradict each other.
“This event made me want to come and share with young people the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years. I retired in 2017 but I am still at it because I would like our young children to conquer the future, but they must not forget who they are,” remarked Temba Erik Madomela.
Mollie Moonyane, organiser of the event, from JCPZ explained the purpose of the day to the learners. “We want to educate the youth and let them know about career opportunities and advancements in astronomy research in the country and worldwide. Astronomy is often overlooked, today we want to educate learners about astronomy by using different methods of teaching. This is more practical and visual to help them better understand,’ said Moonyane.
Learners were allowed to participate in various activities that included painting and engaging with the Wits Astronomy Club. They even got to explore the mobile planetarium from the Sci-yenza Science Centre from the University of Pretoria.
“We got an invitation to come to erect our mobile planetarium to expose the learners to some of our offerings in astronomy. It plays astronomy movies and shows that people watch and learn about the stars and the planets from looking up at the dome,” said Tsehepiso Maroga senior science communicator at the Sci-yenza Science Centre from the University of Pretoria.
It was clear from the get-go that all these organisations were working towards a common goal which is perfectly summed up by Duduzile Kubheka, coach for the outreach and educational South African Astronomy Observatory, who said “We are spreading the word or the reach about astronomy, starting in schools to make sure it reaches everyone.”
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