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NRF|SAAO Cape Town Open Night
August 8 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Join us for Open Nights at the South African Astronomical Observatory (NRF/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 Observatory’s outreach 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 Kelebogile Gasealahwe
Bio: Dr Kelebogile Gasealahwe is a SARAO postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town. She is affiliated with both the SAAO and SARAO, and is a fellow in the High Energy Physics, Cosmology & Astrophysics Theory (HEPCAT) group. Her research focus is on X-ray binaries, primarily studying neutron star X-ray binaries from a multi-wavelength perspective. She is a member of South Africa’s Astronomy Community Task Team (ACTT) and a member of the Golden Key International Honours Society. Dr Gasealahwe is a recipient of the South African Women in Science Awards DSI – Esther Mahlangu Doctoral fellowships (2024) and a keynote motivational speaker.
Abstract: Astronomical objects often remain singular, unaffected by other objects. Sometimes, objects are paired and may even interact with each other; these are known as binary systems. X-ray binaries are systems with either a black hole or neutron star as the primary object, and a companion star as the secondary object. During intense interactions, X-ray explosions occur, one of the brightest X-ray sources in the night sky. In this talk, we will uncover the nature of X-ray binaries and how they are observed. I will present results from the youngest known X-ray binary, Circinus X-1, the Africa nebula. Moreover, discuss how it may tie together what we know about X-ray binaries with either black hole or neutron star primary objects.