The largest African telescope, MeerKat, is launched in South Africa, with a network in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia – Quartz

Astronomy in Africa took a giant leap with the unveiling of the MeerKAT antenna of 64 antennas in South Africa on July 13th. The MeerKAT will be the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere until Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is complete

Why is this a big problem? After all, Africa has many more urgent challenges than exploring the universe. But, as my colleagues and I have recently argued in an article for Nature Astronomy, astronomy occupies a special place among the many efforts being made to meet the challenges of development. It has a unique ability to stimulate the thoughts of "what is possible" in the minds of marginalized communities, women and children.

Astronomy links philosophical, cultural and inspiring elements to the forefront of science and technology. This gives the discipline a unique advantage in fostering socio-economic development. For example, astronomy has been used in Sierra Leone to improve the literacy of middle school students. It worked because they liked what they were learning.

Astronomy techniques are also used in all sectors, from conservation to medical imaging.

Children attending the KAT-7 Radiotelescope in Carnarvon, South Africa. (Kevin Govender)

The Office of Astronomy for the Development of the International Astronomical Union uses astronomy to bring about positive development change. It has ten regional and linguistic centers. Three are in Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia. The Global Coordination Office is located in South Africa

Our challenge as an astronomer is not only to develop discipline in Africa. We must also ensure that this growth is accompanied by educational initiatives, technology transfer and societal engagement that can guide the development priorities of the continent.

Vocational Training

The funding we disbursed was used for

One of them was the Python workshop of Madagascar astronomy in 2017. It was focused on practical coding in the Python programming language for university students and teachers. The goal was to build on astronomy tools that participants can develop for their own research and teaching, not necessarily in the field of astronomy.

At the school level, the girls' astronomy camp was held in Abuja, Nigeria earlier this year. It was not just about education. He also discussed the great disparity between the bades in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which can be a complex socio-cultural problem in many regions

. field. Students must learn science in a way that allows them to build their repertoire of transferable skills.

Thus, the Bureau of Astronomy for Development has funded a number of workshops of the Joint Initiative for Trade Development in Namibia, Mozambique and Mauritius. These workshops focus on the direct transfer of specific skills in an informal yet intense learning environment. They are also excellent for data science skills, especially important for economic growth and jobs in emerging markets.

To address this need and bring communities closer to the science of data and astronomy, the Office of Astronomy for Development

Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

L & # 39; astronomy can also be used in perhaps surprising ways to stimulate development.

One of our projects, Accessible Citizen Science for the Developing World, has espoused health problems with astronomy skills by performing a proof-of-concept type of intervention. Defects of the retina are common, but curable. Peek Vision, a social enterprise that works to improve the vision and health of all, has developed a retinal imaging device that can be easily used even in rural Kenya with an Android phone.

But there were not enough qualified ophthalmologists. hand to use the application to diagnose retinal problems. Peek Vision has teamed up with astronomers on a citizen science portal called Zooniverse. In the same way that scientists-citizens had previously worked to clbadify thousands of galaxies, they were called to learn how to identify retinal problems on the Zooniverse portal.

These partnerships are examples of collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

Creating Spaces

There are many other initiatives that contribute to development through astronomy. Major investments in astronomical infrastructure like MeerKAT are aimed at stimulating the technology industry and advancing the development of technical skills.

Science-based international aid initiatives like African Development with Radio Astronomy (DARA) and its DARA Big Data project use the momentum generated by the SKA program to develop skills and train more of astronomy students for the continent.

Of course, the few examples illustrated in this article are just beginning to address the myriad challenges that Africa and the world are facing. Technology and science can not do much: these challenges have solutions that are, at least in part, guided by human values.

That is why conversations about the natural and social sciences are essential for advancing development on the continent. The Office of Astronomy for Development is one of the spaces that hosts these conversations. We ask astronomers and other scientists to go beyond disciplinary boundaries to explore how their skills can help Africa achieve its development goals.

Author's Note: The article on which this piece is based appeared in nature and was co-authored by Ramasamy Venugopal, Munira Hoosain, Tawanda Chingozha and Kevin Govender

Vanessa McBride, Astronomer, Astronomical Bureau of the International Astronomical Union for Development

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article

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