Special Session SS48  23 June 2025

European-African collaboration for the construction and support of existing and future African astronomical facilities

News:

    Important Dates:

    • 31 January 2025 - Abstract Submission Portal opened.
    • 3 March 2025 - Deadline for Abstract Submission
    • 10 March 2025 - Abstract Review begins
    • 2 April 2025 - Review deadline
    • Mid- April 2025 - Acceptance Notifications sent to participants.
    • Beginning of May 2025 - Programme creation begins
    • End of May 2025 - EAS 2025 programme goes live

        Aims and scope

        Astronomy has a long and rich history in Africa - the world recognized this fact and the importance of its geographical location more than two centuries ago. South Africa nowadays hosts the 11-m South African Large Telescope (SALT), one of the largest single-mirror optical telescopes in the world. South Africa is also one of the hosts of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project which is considered as the world's largest radio telescope. In addition to South Africa, other African countries will soon host radio telescopes contributing to the SKA network, providing their scientists with access to the world?s most advanced radio astronomy array. Moreover, a number of African countries are rapidly developing their own astronomy programmes and instruments, such as the refurbished Kottamia Astronomical Observatory in Egypt, Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco, the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre in Ethiopia, the 32m radio telescope observatory in Ghana, a 1m optical telescope in Burkina Faso, several radio astronomy initiatives in Nigeria, as well as a 1-2m optical telescope initiative in Kenya and much more. In addition, Egypt is planning to build another bigger telescope which is envisioned to have an aperture of 6.5-m, the Egyptian Large Optical Telescope (ELOT). The Ethiopian Lalibela infrared and optical telescope project is another initiative that will boost African research in astronomy, across both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Given these recent and future developments in Africa, Cape Town was chosen to host the IAU General Assembly in 2024 (6-15 Aug. 2024), held for the first time in an African country. Following on from the successes of Cape Town, we propose this special session to shed light, garner attention and obtain the support of the European astronomical community in regard to ELOT and other similar telescope projects currently being envisaged and built on the African continent. As many new research initiatives have arisen between Africa and Europe, EAS2025 will provide an opportunity to discuss African/European existing and future collaborations in the field of astronomy. This will aid discussions on how to set up joint and funded research programs to support researcher exchanges and the co-supervision of students, which is an expressed need on both sides. In addition to this, strong collaborations between the two continents in terms of the development of infrastructure in observational astronomy as well as advancing the important stages of site testing and site characterization are necessary.

        Programme

        • Recent developments and research plans in relation to ground-based optical and radio telescopes in Africa.
        • Identification and characterization of new observatory sites in Africa through collaboration with European areas of expertise.
        • Enabling site testing campaigns in Africa through the sharing and loan of European equipment and human expertise.
        • Enabling partnerships between European and African institutions for the construction of new telescopes in African countries.
        • Collaborations between European and African institutions for defining science goals and directions for research enabled by future African telescopes.
        • Networking existing telescopes across the European and African continents to promote collaboration and exploit transient and time-domain astronomy.
        • Training early-career researchers' observational skills and experience across the African continent.
        • The Egyptian Large Optical Telescope (ELOT) and Ethiopian Lalibela Optical Telescope future science plans and facilities.
        • The Kenyan Optical Telescope Initiative (KOTI).

        Invited speakers

        • Graham, Edward (University of the Highlands and Inlands, Scotland, UK)
        • Ziad, Aziz (Universite Côte D'azur, France)
        • Povic, Mirjana (SSGI, Ethiopia and IAA-CSIC, Spain)
        • Benkhaldoun, Zouhair (Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco)

        Scientific organisers

        • Azzam, Yosry, NRIAG, Egypt - Chair
        • Benkhaldoun, Zouhair, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco - co-Chair
        • Buckley, David, SAAO, South Africa - co-Chair
        • Povic, Mirjana, SSGI, Ethiopia and IAA-CSIC, Spain - co-Chair
        • Capaccioli, Massimo, INAF, Italy
        • Ilic, Dragana, University of Belgrade, Serbia
        • Ortolani, Sergio, UNI-Padova, Italy
        • Tautvaisiene, Grazina, Vilnius University, Lithuania
        • Street, Rachel, Las Cumbres Observatory, USA
        • Knapen Johan H., Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), Spain
        • Shalabia, Osama, Dean of College of Navigation Sciences and Space Technology, Beni Suef university, Egypt

        • Contact

          • y.azzam at nriag.sci.eg
          • zouhair at uca.ac.ma

              Updated on Thu Mar 06 13:39:35 CET 2025
European Astronomical Society