film review: rising star

This article first appeared in African Science Stars magazine Issue 2

A LOOK AT A RISING STAR

A fully immersive astronomy experience is now showing at the Iziko Planetarium in Cape Town.

By: Nadine Sims

The locally produced planetarium film Rising Star takes a glimpse into Astronomy in South Africa, allowing unrestricted access and views of significant sites, such as the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and MeerKAT.

The 24-minute film can be viewed at the Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome in the Cape Town’s city centre and can also be viewed in VR format.

The film is suitable for audiences of all ages and aims to excite and inspire viewers about the origins of astronomy and stargazing in South Africa and the world. It also introduces multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy and what the future holds for astronomy development and research in the country.

The film was produced by the company VR Capture, with support coming from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO). It is the brainchild of astronomer Daniel Cunnama.

“I just hope that it inspires people to find out more about the astronomy we are doing here and be proud of our achievements as South Africans, and hopefully visit Sutherland and Carnarvon to take some of it in," says Cunnama.

The Iziko Planetarium was established in 1987 and in 2017 the digital dome underwent an 8K digital upgrade making it one of the most advanced on the continent, and one of four major planeteria in South Africa.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the 15.2m digital dome catered to around 100 000 people annually. Not only does it host public showings but is also able to be utilised by scientists and astronomers for research purposes, by using the facility to better visualise their data.

South Africa has a rich history of astronomy, with telescopes like SALT and MeerKAT. SALT is the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere – so powerful, it is able to detect stars that are dimmer than the faintest star visible to the naked eye. And MeerKAT, with its 64 antennas, is the most sensitive radio telescope of its kind.

Virtual reality tours of the Sutherland facility are available, through which the different telescopes can be explored. Visit salt.ac.za for more information on these tours.

For more information about viewing times for Rising Star, visit the Iziko Planetarium website or call 021 481 3800 for bookings.

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