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NRF|SAAO Cape Town Open Night
20th December 2025 @ 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. (NOTE: Open Nights for December 2025 are scheduled for all 4 Saturdays of the 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: Dr. Christian Hettlage
Title: The Star of Bethlehem – an Astronomical Whodunnit
Abstract: Adorning many a Christmas card, the Star of Bethlehem might be the most famous star in history. In this light-hearted talk, we have a look at the Christmas story (which might harbour a surprise or two) before investigating the astronomical phenomena which have been used as an explanation for the Star: Was it a planet? A meteor shower? An exploding star? A conjunction? Something completely different? And actually, who were the men following it?
Bio: Christian Hettlage is a software engineer at the SAAO, developing tools for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). He came to Cape Town in 2006 after completing his Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Göttingen, Germany.