2021 MSc and PhD Research Opportunities
The SAAO offers students the opportunity to work with leading researchers on cutting edge astronomy and instrumentation projects. These cover observat...
08 May, 2020
SAAO MASTER telescopes observe Gamma-Ray burst afterglow
The MASTER-SAAO Robotic telescopes have contributed to the observation of an unusually energetic gamma-ray burst (GRB) which has prompted astrophysici...
07 Apr, 2020
SAAO Annual Report 2018/19
The 2018/19 SAAO Annual Report has been released: Download report below:...
09 Dec, 2019
The IAU General Assembly 2024 will be hosted by Cape Town, South Africa
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) today announced the 32nd General Assembly of the IAU in 2024 will be hosted by Cape Town, South Africa. Thi...
30 Aug, 2019
The changing landscape of South African astronomy
South Africa is looking forward to hosting the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in 2024 — the first on the African continent....
06 May, 2019
The South African Astronomical Observatory Celebrates the life of an Astronomy Giant, Professor Michael William Feast
Professor Michael William Feast died peacefully early on Monday morning, 1 April 2019, aged 92. He is survived by his wife Connie, three children and ...
02 Apr, 2019
Declaration of the South African Astronomical Observatory as a National Heritage Site
On December 21, 2018, the South African Heritage Resources Agency(SAHRA) officially declared the South African Astronomical Observatory as a National ...
23 Jan, 2019
SAAO contributes to MU69 exploration
On the 1st of January 2019, NASA’s New Horizon’s spacecraft performed a very exciting flyby of the most distant object ever explored, 2014 MU69, n...
11 Jan, 2019
A mystery in the outer Solar System
Stellar occultations are a powerful technique that allows characterization of foreground objects by watching them block light from a distant star. Thi...
18 Dec, 2018
Pluto: small, distant, and fascinating
Pluto is an interesting object located in the outer region of our Solar System. Although only 2376 km in diameter, it hosts five moons and a thin at...
05 Sep, 2018