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The changing landscape of South African astronomy

South Africa is looking forward to hosting the IAU General Assembly in 2024 — the first on the African continent. The meeting will come at a time of burgeoning scientific prosperity for the growing community of indigenous South African and African astronomers.

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Fig. 1: The largest single telescope in the southern hemisphere, SALT, when it was completed in 2005.

Southern African Large Telescope Foundation

Fig. 2

Willie Koorts, SAAO

Fig. 3

South African Radio Astronomy Observatory

Fig. 4

Laenita Oberholzer/North-West University

Fig. 5: Some of the recent South African PhD graduates, three of whom came through the NASSP programme, who are now early-career astronomers at the SAAO.

South African Astronomical Observatory

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Acknowledgements

The author is grateful for inputs and comments from D. Cunnama, P. Whitelock, P. Väisänen, V. McBride and K. Govender.

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Correspondence to David A. H. Buckley.

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Buckley, D.A.H. The changing landscape of South African astronomy. Nat Astron 3, 369–373 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0771-6

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