Telescope-making in Grahamstown

Michelle Knights of the Rhodes University Astronomy Society reports:

On Friday the 23rd, a mini-bus full of school children (grades 10 and 11) from the local township arrived on campus for their first telescope making workshop. Thanks to Kevin Govender at SAAO, we had telescope making kits for them and they thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. They also had the chance to learn about Galileo and what he did. Then we joined the rest of the society in the Botanical Gardens with 5 Astrosoc telescopes for some public stargazing. This was the first time any of the kids had ever looked through a telescope. The event was very well-received with over 50 members of the public joining us for perfect viewing conditions of Jupiter, the moon and star clusters. Galilean Nights was a great success at raising awareness about Astronomy and the beautiful Universe in which we live.