The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town is tutoring matric physics learners from the Thandokhulu High School in Mowbray through its outreach tutoring initiative – The Rising Star Project.
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In the opening session, which was held on Friday, 3 February 2023, the learners were taken on a tour of the observatory, the library and the historic McClean telescope and given a brief overview of astronomy and the work of the SAAO.
On their tour of the technical building and machine shop, the students met a few engineers, got to see some electronics in action, and watched a demonstration of computer-aided design (CAD).
The aim of The Rising Star Project is to give learners an idea of the kinds of career opportunities that are available in the fields of physics and mathematics.
SAAO member said, “We hope that by touring the facility and speaking to some of the scientists, they feel inspired and motivated to work hard at school this year, and possibly even consider pursuing further studies in STEM.”
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Picture: The South African Astronomical Observatory
