It all began with a radio telescope in Namibia. Astronomers from Radboud University and their colleagues from the Event Horizon Telescope consortium – which was responsible for the first image of a black hole in April 2019 – have been dreaming about setting up a radio telescope in southern Africa. This kind of telescope would strengthen the global network of telescopes and consequently enhance measurement results. And if you already harbour such a dream, why not dream a little bigger? From the first moment that astronomers Marc Klein Wolt and Heino Falcke thought about the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT), they had to ask themselves: how can we make sure that Namibia benefits from this project? What can we give back? “We won’t do it just because it’s the only way to achieve this type of project. We truly believe that it’s not a good thing to only think about personal gain.”
On November 29, Marc Klein Wolt was able to announce in Namibia that the arrival of the Namibian Africa Millimetre Telescope has been given the green light, thanks to a guarantee from Radboud University. Pictured: Dr Ellen Ndeshi Namhila , UNAM's Pro Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance and Marc Klein Wolt. Photo: Radboud Radio Lab/Barbara Kerkhof
Setting up the research programme
“Look; if this sort of telescope is built, the EHT consortium will only use it some of the time. Other people will be able to use it for other things the rest of the time. Our idea from the very beginning was: how can scientists in Namibia use it for their own research? And can we contribute to this process?” Namibia has two universities: the University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). “We are currently working with UNAM, but there are only a few astronomers working there at the moment. We want to help them to set up a research programme. If they have their own telescope, they’ll have something to offer aspiring researchers.” These could be people from other countries, but it would be even better if they were locals who could be trained in Namibia. And if Namibian technicians were trained to maintain the telescope and all its auxiliary equipment, Namibia would be less dependent on foreign support. “This means that we need to share this story at every level of education in Namibia. We’ve already made a social impact plan that covers all of these aspects.”
‘We want to be astronomers too!’
In 2019, Radboud astronomers and their Namibian partners visited primary schools with a mobile planetarium. Klein Wolt also took part in these visits: “The story of this planetarium is about Namibia and its place in the world and the universe. We visited around 1,500 children in just one week. During these visits, I’d share snippets of information with the children beforehand and then I’d answer their questions. It was great. A bunch of kids came up to me and asked: “Are you the astronomer? We want to be astronomers too!” That enthusiasm is exactly what we’re aiming for. Be that as it may, there should still be a possibility to educate children in this field. We want to contribute to that.”
Dutch astronomers and Namibian students (2019) with the mobile planetarium
Lighthouse project
Thanks to a collaboration with the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy in the Netherlands (NOVA), course materials have already been developed for Namibian school children. And the first PhD candidate will shortly be appointed to UNAM via the AMT Fellowship Programme. “We need to help the people of Namibia form a research group so they can then develop it themselves. Fortunately, there are more and more parties who are willing to participate in this project. When we started this whole process, I honestly had no idea that it would have such a huge impact. This is what’s known as a ‘lighthouse project’. And this could be the whole project. It’s very important for the country because it’s going to boost education and research, and it has added value for local companies. The vice president of the country, who is acting as the ambassador for this project, sees it as a great opportunity to put Namibia on the map.”
Disturbing the peace
So is it all good news? Klein Wolt acknowledges that it is not good news for everyone. “When it comes to the farmers who lead a peaceful life in the desert around the Gamsberg, where the telescope is planned to be installed, their lives will undergo dramatic changes if this project goes ahead. Of course, we’ll also sit down and talk to them so that we can think about the potential benefits, such as better roads. And we’ll try to arrange extra water for them. And if there are researchers, they’re going to need a place to stay. But if you look at it from the perspective of the people who live in the desert, where there’s ten kilometres between one farm and another, we’ll definitely be disturbing the peace. So we’ll have to try and compensate for these problems as best we can.”
Fantastic social impact
Klein Wolt, who is an enthusiastic person by nature, is clearly excited about this project. “It’s so inspiring. To think that you can contribute to the development of a country; that has a fantastic social impact. You’re not just saying: we’d like to build a telescope and you’re also going to benefit from it, let’s make it happen. Even so, we’ve also been involved in all the intermediate stages. I’ve been talking to scientists, farmers, people in government and people from different companies. Data centres have to be built, and the project will make demands on technology and telecommunications. The project that’s going to be realised up there on the mountain is not something that we’ll be doing on our own. I’m always looking to expand. I’m trying to find something that will benefit everybody.”
A lot of support
All in all, around 23 million euros need to be raised for the telescope and the entire social impact plan surrounding it. “We’ve already received a lot of support from a number of institutions, including Radboud University, and we’ll obviously be submitting applications to the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the European Research Council (ERC). We’re also working with local companies and organisations in Namibia.”
If you would like to contribute to the crowd-funding campaign for the mobile planetarium, or to a COVID-19 aid programme in Namibia, you can make a donation via the Radboud Fund. A crowd-funding campaign for the AMT Fellowship Programme is imminent; if you would like to stay in the loop, please send an email to fondsenwerving [at] ru.nl (fondsenwerving[at]ru[dot]nl)
Tips from Marc Klein Wolt
*Watch CNN’s ‘Inside Africa: Southern Africa’s Stargazers’, which is an interesting feature about astronomy in southern Africa. This documentary also includes extensive coverage of the AMT project and the mobile planetarium. * Watch Season 3, episode 5 of Floortje Naar Het Einde Van De Wereld, in which she travels to the beautiful Namibia. * Shows to watch with the kids: Season 2 of Freeks wilde wereld. Host Freek Vonk travels through Namibia and introduces the unusual animals that live there.
Photos accompanying this article (with the exception of the photo of the mobile planetarium): Radboud Radio Lab, Barbara Kerkhof. In the photo at the very top you can see Windhoek, Namibia.