UNDER THE SKIES
Diamond in the sky hosts space sciences and star gazing session
Diamond in the Sky organisation held a star gazing and astronomy discussion event in Gaborone dubbed ‘An evening under the skies,’ this past Saturday. The event was aimed at teaching learners more about the planets and other aspects of astrology such as space sciences. Activities included telescope viewing, laser pointing and star identification, astronomy videos to give the learners insight on space sciences, and talks from experts in the field of space sciences.
The Director of Diamond in the Sky, Bill Tomlinson, said that they organised the event, one of many that they have held in order to inculcate a love and passion for astrology among children, also with the hope that they would be inspired to develop interest in pursuing fields of Science, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM).
Tomilson said that they want to see more young people interested in these fields, and using edutainment outings as a good way to reach out to young people.
He said their collaborations with organisations that deal with astronomy and space sciences such as the Association of Astronomy Botswana and Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) was helpful as they could reach out to more people and also tap into the expertise and think tank of experts in space sciences. The Chairperson of the Astronomy Society of Botswana (ASB) and a professor at the University of Botswana, Motsoptse Phillip Modise, said that astrology is a fascinating field that also offers a plethora of opportunities and solutions to some pressing challenges in society. “In this day in age, science fields are critical in all sectors including education, agriculture, health, and manufacturing sectors, therefore it is essential to growing industries”. He explained that astronomy is often understood in the context of the stars and the moon, however, it is more about that as it also involves advanced technological skills such as data mining and analysis, which is critical in sectors such as health, education and manufacturing. Tumo Fortunate Kedumele of BIUST said there is a demand for individuals with education, skills and training in astrology. Kedumele is a radio frequency and wireless communications research engineer by profession, and graduated in Telecommunications engineering, which she said has opened her mind to the many opportunities in her midst. She is currently exploring other interests in the areas of space, science and technology in the field of radio astronomy. Inspiring the little ones with her own successful career in the field of science, she said that as a small girl she was fascinated by the skies and would spend time stargazing in her home village. “I started to love sciences and technology, hence I pursued a career in STEM and in the space sector,” she said.
Kedumele said there is currently demand for skilled personnel in the sciences field especially data mining, data analysis, computer engineering and optical engineering among others, urging young people who are still exploring career opportunities to consider these fields.
She said that gone are the days when it was assumed that STEM subjects are difficult for girls.
“We should erode gender barriers and make STEM accessible to everyone because girls have great academic potential and can make strides in the space sciences, particularly as there is growing demand for skilled personnel on the backdrop of development of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - a mega-research project that will be operational in eight southern Africa countries including Botswana.” The SKA is P23 billion-worth collaboration between South Africa, Australia and other southern Africa countries to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with a square kilometre of collecting area.