ASTROTOURISM

ASTRO-TOURISM IS VISITING A SPECIFIC PLACE TO DO STAR-GAZING OR ANY ASTRONOMY/SPACE RELATED ACTIVITIES. ABOUT 10.4% OF THE GLOBAL GDP AND 7% OF AFRICA’S GDP COMES FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR, ACCORDING TO THE 2019 REPORT BY THE WORLD TRAVEL AND TOURISM COUNCIL (WTTC).

Africa is a perfect destination for Astrotourism due to its untouched landscapes and good weather conditions. According to the International Dark-Sky Association (IDSA), compared to other continents, Africa has a great dark-sky resource.

Astronomy and space are very hot topics at the moment, with the hype around the James Webb Space Telescope, the imaging of a black hole and SpaceX all making headlines. In turn, this would almost definitely contribute toward a spark of interest surrounding Astrotourism.

For instance, when SpaceX launches rockets, people flock to Cape Canaveral to watch them take off. Subsequently boosting local hospitality and small businesses in the region.

Africa is no different and we have our own big science endeavor. The Square Kilometre Array Observatory, the World’s most sensitive radio telescope, under construction in South Africa. Once built, it will have a visitors’ centre and will surely attract many Astrotourism enthusiasts.

There are also other attractions, like planetariums, of which we have quite a few across the African continent (see page 38). Or you could visit a meteorite site in Namibia or Tanzania. The options are far and wide.

When looking at Astrotourism, the obvious upside is economic growth for that specific region, as well as job creation and human capacity development.

To keep the wheel turning and making Astrotourism sustainable long-term, preservation needs to take place. Light pollution (see page 19) could potentially be a problem, but that is where the IDSA comes in, it works towards conserving and protecting dark skies and promoting responsible lighting. They also certify certain locations as Dark-Sky Places through a rigorous process.

Below we have listed a few Astrotourism activities:

PLANETARIUMS:

A planetarium is a dome-shaped room where you can sit back and watch the stars. They usually play movies and take you on a journey through the universe. The first planetarium projector was unveiled in Jena, Germany in October 1923. Making this year the centennial. At the Witwatersrand planetarium, people got to watch the moon landing in 1969. The tapes were flown down from London the next day after the landing.

METEORITE SITE:

Located in Namibia is the largest meteorite on Earth, the Hoba meteorite. It came down about 80 000 years ago and still remains in the same place, due to it being approximately 60 tons. Though not as big, you can also visit another meteorite site in Tanzania, the Mbozi meteorite, which weighs in at approximately 25 tonnes. In South Africa, you can also visit the Vredefort Dome, the crater is the largest meteorite impact site on Earth, said to have hit around 2 billion years ago.

SAFARI:

Game reserves are usually far away from the city and away from any light pollution, making it ideal for stargazing. Call ahead of time and ask if they have a star-gazing guide. A safari is also ideal for Astrophotographers to get some great shots.

OBSERVATORIES:

In South Africa, you can visit the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town and in Sutherland. Cape Town has an Open Night every second and fourth Saturday of the month. Then in Sutherland, you can visit the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), which is the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.

CELESTIAL EVENTS:

From eclipses to meteor showers, celestial events are a great activity to participate in. A meteor shower occurs about once a year around the same time and it happens when Earth is passing through the debris of an asteroid or a comet. It can be described as many streaks of light emanating from one point. Grab a sky guide for your region and check what is happening in the night sky in your area.

applications as well as enhancing the regulatory framework. Kenya has a long history when it comes to space related activities. In 1964 Kenya and Italy collaborated in establishing a satellite launching and tracking base in Malindi, a town on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. From 1967 - 1989 over 20 sounding rockets and 9 rockets were launched from the Malindi station base,

In May 2018 Kenya launched its first nano-satelitte into orbit from the International Space Station. The satellite, called 1KUNSPF, has a low-resolution camera on board and is a technology demonstrator, constructed by the University of Nairobi.

According to Space in Africa, as of 2022, there are approximately 50 African satellites that have been deployed in space, with Egypt being the first to send a satellite to space in 1998.