Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town

New Honorary Professor

Hon. Prof. W.J.G de Blok
The Department is pleased to announce that Prof Erwin de Blok, former SARChI Chair holder (now at ASTRON, NL) will take up the position of Honorary Professor at the Astronomy Department of the University of Cape Town as of 1 August 2012.

SAIP 2012

The Department congratulates Prof Michael Feast and Prof George Ellis for having been elected fellows of the SAIP 2012 in Pretoria, and Mpati Ramatsoku for winning the best MSc oral presentation in the Astrophysics Division of the SAIP. A/Prof Patrick Woudt has been elected as a new member on the SAIP council representing Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Astrophysics class medalists of 2011

The Astronomy Department congratulates the Astrophysics class medalists of 2011 (from left to right):

Claire Antel (AST3002F), Louise Steward (AST3003S), Alistair Grant Stuart (AST2002S), Priscilla Chauke (AST4007W; NASSP Honours), Absent: Tslil Clingman (AST1000F)

Astronomy Department congratulates the SA SKA project on the outcome of the SKA site bid.

The Astronomy Department congratulates with much delight the whole of the SA SKA project team - and Bernie Fanaroff, Justin Jonas, and Kim de Boer in particular - with the very positive outcome of the SKA site bid decision. An incredible feat and a clear acknowledgement of the success of the huge, gigantic steps the team has taken in just the last decade to bring the project so far in such a short time, and putting us on top of the world, if not the Universe.

Departmental Profile

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Cape Town is the largest university-based astronomy group in the country and has strong ties (and joint positions) with the South African Astronomical Observatory and the South African Square Kilometre Array office. The department primarily comprises observational (optical, near-infrared and radio) astronomers, with international leaders in the fields of large-scale structure of galaxies, dark matter in galaxies, low surface brightness galaxies, the uncovering of galaxies hidden by the Milky Way, the extra-galactic distance scale, and cataclysmic variable stars. The department is also closely associated with a number of other groups within various UCT departments, such as the cosmology group of the applied mathematics department, the astro-particle group of the physics department, and members of the electrical engineering department who are involved in space science and radio telescope technology development.