s announced last year, South Africa and Australia will co-develop the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio

telescope. This will be the worlds biggest radio telescope and will be used to scan the cosmos and possibly determine the origins of the universe. Patricia Skelton and Andri Prozesky, two Unisa academics who are also PhD students, were recently awarded for their research efforts in the field of astronomy. With the recent launch of the Unisa Science Campus and the SKA on the horizon, the study of the stars is about to receive a major boost.
Patricia and Andri are both winners of South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) awards. The annual SAIP conference brings together researchers involved in physics and other related subjects. Students network, present their research and compete for awards. Patricia won the encouragement prize in the Astrophysics division of the Astrophysics and Space Science specialist group. Shes currently an Astronomy lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Unisa and teaches the second-year module on the structure and evolution of galaxies and is also responsible for second and third year Astronomy practicals. Shes working on W Ursae Majoris-type (W UMatype) variable stars. A W UMa-type variable star is a binary star system consisting of two stars that are in physical contact, says Patricia. The formation and evolution of these systems is not yet fully understood and I hope that by studying these active systems we may be able to improve our understanding of the physical processes of these stars.

Andri won the award for the best presentation by a PhD student in the Astronomy subfield and is researching the atomic physics that occur inside giant clouds of gas found in space, called photo-ionized nebulae. The only information that we get from these clouds are in the form of the light that they emit, says Andri. The particles in the cloud interact with the radiation field that permeates it so that the physical conditions in the nebula are imprinted on the light. To help us to interpret the physical properties by the characteristics of the light that we observe, I write computer models to simulate the conditions within the gas clouds.

The SKAs the limit

Both Patricia and Andri have designs on completing their PhDs and publishing in accredited journals, and the timing may be perfect given that the SKA project is well under way. Patricia explains that South Africa has long been a major hub for astronomy, already hosting facilities like the Southern African

Patricia Skelton and Andri Prozesky during Science Week at the Unisa Science Campus

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Unisa Inspired Vol 9 No 2 November 2013

Large Telescope (SALT), the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. The SKA project has raised the publics awareness about astronomy in South Africa and has sparked learners interest in astronomy and science nationwide, she says. The combination of SALT and the SKA will put South Africa at the forefront of astronomy and science for decades to come.

Astronomy a kid-magnet
Andri agrees. The government is recognising the value of fundamental sciences and is investing large amounts of money in the SKA project. This includes a number of bursaries to encourage students to obtain PhDs in astronomy and engineering, which South Africa has a shortage of. Astronomy is very useful in terms of getting kids interested in science. Our school system does not really take advantage of this and the awareness created by the SKA project will hopefully inspire our future generation of scientists. This may also change the traditional view of school pupils who dream of treating patients as doctors or arguing in a court room as a lawyer rather than mapping the Milky Way. Andri says that astronomy is her passion because there is so much to investigate in the universe, but admits that its not the easiest profession to pursue. One reason why we dont have more students is that a career in astronomy takes a lot of commitment. To become an astronomer, you have to get a doctoral degree. That usually requires more than 10 years of studying at university.

A universe of questions
For Patricia, who is passionate about her work, astronomy affords the chance to work in the ultimate laboratory, the universe. Our universe is filled with different types of objects and there are many questions about these objects that still need to be answered, she says. Advances in technology allow us to build bigger telescopes and more sensitive equipment to help us study the objects in our universe. Observations lead to some answers but often to more questions about the objects, which keeps the field active. As an astronomer, you never get bored or run out of things to study.

Patricia Skelton at the Unisa Observatory, the only observatory in Tshwane operated by professional astronomers. Housing a 14-inch computer-controlled telescope, the facility is used to train second and third-year astronomy students, and to host community engagement events and viewing evenings for the public.

Unisa Inspired Vol 9 No 2 November 2013

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Accolades