<
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/sep/18/i-want-to-see-the-first-african-woman-in-space-the-kenyan-stargazer-bringing-astronomy-to-the-people>
"It’s 1.30am in Kenya’s parched and sparsely populated north, and 50 people are
lying on their backs on the shore of a dried-up river, staring up at the night
sky. Thousands of stars create a vast, glittering canvas with the ghostly glow
of the Milky Way clearly visible.
These stargazers have travelled 250 miles (400km) overland from Nairobi to
Samburu county to witness the Perseid meteor shower – a celestial event that
happens every July and August. They are not disappointed: every few minutes,
arrows of light shoot across the sky like silent fireworks, prompting gasps and
arm-waving as people try to pinpoint individual shooting stars.
The Star Safari is organised by a Kenyan astronomer, Susan Murabana, who has
brought the SkyWatcher Flextube – a 50kg, 170cm-long telescope – to allow the
group to view Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus, and deep-sky objects such as the
Orion and Trifid nebulae, star clusters and galaxies such as Pinwheel and
Andromeda.
But here in Samburu, where light pollution is minimal and the air is warm and
full of anticipation, the Perseid meteors – visible with the naked eye – steal
the show.
“There’s something about the sky that makes you want to experience it with
other people,” says Murabana, who launched Star Safaris in 2021. But this is
not the only way she is sharing her passion and knowledge.
The proceeds from the £136 two-night trips, as well as monthly overnight
excursions to the outskirts of Nairobi, fund the Travelling Telescope, a social
enterprise set up by Murabana in 2014 that aims to educate remote communities
and inspire a love of science and astronomy among young people, particularly
girls."
Via
The Fixer September 20, 2023:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/star-safaris-science-education-rural-kenya/>
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
