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World's largest gamma-ray telescope for Namibia
The largest and most sensitive gamma-ray telescope in the world is at
present being built 100 km west of Windhoek in the Khomas Highland of
Namibia, an area well-known for its excellent optical quality. Construction
on the foundations started in August 2000, and the high energy stereoscopic system telescope (HESS) should be fully operational in 2002.
Professor Christo Raubenheimer of the Potchefstroom University is the
driving force behind the building of the telescope in southern Africa. The
HESS project is the result of international cooperation between 12
institutes, including the Unit for Space Physics at Potchefstroom. The Unit
was allocated an annual amount of R240 000 per year for 10 years from the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, administered by the
NRF, for the project. The University of Namibia is the only other African
institution involved in HESS, while the other collaborators are from
Germany, France, Italy, Armenia, Ireland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.
Two unique features of the proposed installation are the possibility of
simultaneously observing air showers with the aid of three to four
telescopes under widely different viewing angles; and the combination of
multiple (up to 16) telescopes in a large system to increase the effective
detection area for gamma rays. The first four telescopes (phase I of the
HESS project) are expected to go into operation in 2001 and 2002.
HESS will supplement the facilities of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)
(See earlier article on SALT) that is being constructed in the Northern Cape. Local astronomers and those from abroad should benefit
from the excellent facilities available in southern Africa once these telescopes have been completed.
Article by News@NRF.
More information on the HESS project
E-mail Prof Christo
Raubenheimer, tel: (018) 299-111or visit the Web-site
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