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Astronomy has the power to bring about development where it is needed. Establishing groups of professional astronomers, technicians, engineers and other highly trained staff can provide ongoing economic and educational stimulus to a region. Moreover, the construction of new observing facilities injects much-needed money, employment and infrastructure. We are used to hearing about new astronomical discoveries from countries with comparatively large budgets for science and technology; the aim of this Collection is to highlight efforts in the rest of the world to introduce and develop astronomy and space science in areas where it is not so widely practised and budgets are not so healthy.
A powerful new radio telescope will improve our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, and other key questions in astrophysics, says Fernando Camilo, on behalf of the MeerKAT team.
The HESS array in Namibia waits for a split-second flash of blue light — Cherenkov radiation — that signals an atmospheric shower of charged particles caused by cosmic rays, explains Director Mathieu de Naurois.
Observational astronomy in Iran has witnessed a rise over the past two decades that has led to investment in its own astronomical identity, the Iranian National Observatory, and a flagship 3.4-m optical telescope.