Southern Africa - Premier destination for astronomy

Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)

High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS)

The southern African region has become a premier destination for globally-significant, cutting-edge astronomy projects as a result of key decisions taken by governments in the region, and its unique geographical location.

In South Africa, there is the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) at Sutherland in the Northern Cape which will be the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere, while in neighbouring Namibia there is the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) gamma ray observatory which, when its second phase is completed, will be the largest of its kind in the world. Southern African governments see the location of global astronomy infrastructure in our region as a way of promoting high technology investment and of ensuring that local scientists are able to participate in world class science. An important spin-off from projects such as SALT is the stimulation of the interest of the public, especially South Africa's youth, in science.

These recent developments are, however, only the latest in a tradition of globally-significant astronomical research done in the region, a tradition that stretches back some 250 years. The countries that are already proving excellent hosts for SALT and HESS will also provide an excellent site for the revolutionary Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope.

The SKA is arguably the most important and most exciting project proposed for radio astronomy in the past 50 years. South Africa is in the process of bidding to host the core element of the SKA owing to its location, as well as the capabilities and record of accomplishment to host, support, and contribute to the science that will be generated by this giant radio telescope.