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NRF|SAAO Cape Town Open Night
August 9 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Join us for Open Nights at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town, held on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.
Each evening begins with an engaging presentation on astronomy or a related field of science, followed by a guided tour of the Observatory’s rich history—including our library, museum, and the historic 120-year-old McClean Telescope.
Weather permitting, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy stargazing through the McClean and additional smaller telescopes.
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- Gates open at 7:30 PM.
- Free entry for children aged 6 and under.
Please email cptbookings@saao.ac.za or call +27 21 447 0025 if you have any queries regarding bookings.
Speaker: Damien Matthew
Damien is a master’s student in astrophysics at UCT, working on the LADUMA survey with the MeerKAT telescope. He holds a BSc in physics and astrophysics from UCT and completed his honours through the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP). Beyond research, he enjoys football, playing piano, and climbing.
Abstract: The distribution of galaxies in space is not random – it traces a vast cosmic web, the largest structure in the universe. Born from tiny fluctuations in the early universe, this cosmic backbone shapes how galaxies form and evolve. In this talk, we’ll explore the scale, origin, and beauty of the cosmic web; and I’ll share how my research investigates the role it plays in driving galaxy evolution.