Early star gazers

The Portuguese and Dutch made the earliest astronomical observations in South Africa. As navigators sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to the East, they needed to determine their latitude and longitude. In December 1652, Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch Governor at the Cape, referred to a comet in his Journal and noted its development in the following week.

   A party of Jesuit priests bound for Siam (Thailand) in 1685 stopped at the Cape and Father Tachard set up a temporary observatory on a site, which became the Old Supreme Court. In 1707 Pieter Kolbe, a German, made a few observations but neither he nor Tachard made any lasting contribution to astronomy.

Late 18th century

Of a very different character was the Abbe de Lacaille who was sent to the Cape in l751 by the "Academie Royale des Sciences de France". In two crowded years of work at his observatory in Strand Street (in the vicinity of modern day Strand Street, Cape Town), the French astronomer laid the foundations of Southern Hemisphere astronomy. Lacaille's catalogue contains the places of 9 766 stars and 42 nebulae, observed with considerable precision.  He also surveyed the arc of the meridian from Cape Town northwards to Piketberg to determine the shape of the earth in the Southern Hemisphere.  Lacaille marked out and named the southern constellations including one named Mons Mensa, now shortened to Mensa, in honour of Table Mountain.

   Mason and Dixon, better known for their later survey work in North America, observed the 1761 Transit of Venus from Cape Town.  Wayle and Bayly later occupied the site they used for short periods in 1772 and 1775, two astronomers sailing with Captain Cook on his second voyage.

The first observatories

In 1820 the first permanent observatory, the Royal Observatory, was established in Cape Town.  From l834 to 1838 Sir John Herschel worked at his private observatory at Claremont, Cape Town where he extended to the south the search for nebulae, double stars and clusters already completed by his father, Sir William Herschel, in the north.
   Apart from Lacaille and Herschel brief private observatories the Royal Cape remained the only Observatory until the Natal Observatory was founded in Durban at the time of the 1882 Transit of Venus. The  Natal Legislative Council maintained the Natal Observatory in Durban, established in 1882 until 1911, but is now closed.  The first and only Government Astronomer was Mr. E N Nevill- alias Edmund Nieson - who was distinguished for his lunar studies. A small transit circle was used to provide a public time service.
   In 1903 the Transvaal Meteorological Department, out of which the Republic Observatory later grew, was created, and R. T. A. Innes, then Secretary and Librarian of the Royal Observatory was appointed as its first director.

Out of the north

From the earliest days South Africa has played a leading part in the development of astronomy in the Southern Hemisphere. At first this was due to the accessibility of Cape Town to northern astronomers, and later to the exploitation of the excellent observing conditions on the highveld (Johannesburg).

   By the 1920's the Observatories in the northern hemisphere plagued by bad seeing conditions decided to extend their operations to Southern Africa. This regions clear skies had become widely known throughout the astronomical world and with strong support from the Union Government, the observatories of Yale, Harvard, Michigan and Leiden established southern stations here. Many astronomers with worthwhile programmes were therefore able to work with great efficiency and produce data of a very high quality. Indeed, some of the large-scale fundamental photometric and spectroscopic programmes completed at the Cape and Radcliffe Observatories have no counterparts in the Northern Hemisphere.

Europe looks southward again

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) site-testing expedition, consisting of astronomers from Sweden, Holland, Belgium, France and West Germany co-operated in searching for a site for a joint major observatory in the southern hemisphere. By 1959 two "pilot" sites were operating in South Africa, a French one at Zeekoegat (Seekoeigat) and a German one at Klavervlei, both near Beaufort West in the southern Karoo and extensive seeing tests were made, as well as other observations.

   Similar site testing was carried out in South America and the decision was finally made to build the observatory in Chile. The new observatory was opened in 1969 some 8000 feet up on the Cerro La Silla in northern Chile.  Initial plans call for 39-inch, 59-inch and 142 inch telescopes, so it can be seen that the extent of South Africa's loss in this respect is considerable.

International relations

More recently the emphasis has changed from the systematic and routine collection of data. There has been a steady stream of European and American astronomers paying relatively short visits to the established observatories to make special observations of unique southern hemisphere objects such as the Magellanic Clouds and the region of the Galactic Centre.

The space age

In the late 1950's the Space Age saw the advent of tracking stations for artificial satellites (Olifantsfontein & STADAN) and more recently there has been increasing interest in radio astronomy in South Africa (Hartebeesthoek & Rhodes University Astronomical Laboratory).

The turbulent 60s

In 1961 South Africa gained independence from the United Kingdom. Due to the policy of apartheid, sanctions were imposed on South Africa which had a negative impact on scientific co-operation between South Africa and the International Community.  Slowly most of the foreign owned Observatories withdrew their support.  The Observatories were usually handed over to South African institutions that were hard pressed to financially keep the Observatories running.

A national institution

By the late 1960's the unprecedented growth of cities caused light pollution problems all over the world.  In order to overcome the light pollution problem, and streamline Astronomy in South Africa, the government decided to amalgamate some Observatories and move their Instruments to a dark sky site. The site chosen was Sutherland in the Karoo. By 1974 the Republic, Radcliffe and Royal Cape Observatories were amalgamated into what became known as the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)

Private observatories

There are many private observatories - e.g. Cederberg Observatory, Port Elizabeth People's Observatory, Bronberg and Aloe Ridge - in Southern Africa. Many of the observatories are doing great work in evoking an interest in astronomy amongst the general public, and are regularly open to the public. Some observatories also make contributions to scientific research.

Outside South Africa

Apart from Astronomy in South Africa there are some activities in the other Southern African States as well:

Lesotho: The Lesotho Observatory Foundation at Roma in Lesotho was founded in 1968.
Namibia: The HESS Observatory is being built in Namibia. Previously but a number of expeditions have worked there. These include the Smithsonian Institution-National. Geographic Society Solar Expedition to Mount Brukkaros from 1926 to 1932; the expedition by the observatories of Breslau, Neubabelsberg, Sonneberg and Bambergat Windhoek, from 1934 to 1939; and one from the Sonneberg Observatory in 1952 to 1953.

J.D. Laing, The Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope 1820 - 1970 Sesquicentennial Offerings, pp.35 - 41.

Director Historical Section: Chris de Coning - siriusa@absamail.co.za

(c) ASSA 2003-2006 - webmaster hettlage@saao.ac.za