The Cosmic Savannah

In this special episode of The Cosmic Savannah, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of IDIA(Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy) with three very special guests: the new director Professor Roger Deane, astronomy support specialist Walter Silima, and head of outreach and development Associate Professor Sally McFarlane.

Jacinta and Francois wrap up Season 6 of The Cosmic Savannah with this exciting and reflective episode, discussing the history, science and legacy of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) which celebrated it's 20th anniversary in November of 2025. 

In this episode of the Cosmic Savannah, Dan and Francois sit down with Dr Nick Erasmus to discuss the ATLAS digital assistant and the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Astronomy and how this technology is shaping the new astronomy landscape, and what the role of the astronomer will be in this new age.

In this episode, Jacinta chats with Dr Simon de Wet about the discoveries he made during his Master's and PhD theses regarding mysterious gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Meanwhile, the team takes a trip back to the Pendulum Room for a final farewell to the old studio.

In this episode, Jacinta chats with Dr Simon de Wet about the discoveries he made during his Master's and PhD theses regarding mysterious gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Meanwhile, the team takes a trip back to the Pendulum Room for a final farewell to the old studio.

with Prof Matt Jarvis, Dr Imogen Whittam and Dr Anastasia Ponomareva

In this episode, Jacinta takes us back to Oxford to catch up with researchers leading one of the biggest astronomy projects with South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope — the MIGHTEE Survey!

We hear from Prof. Matt Jarvis, Dr. Imogen Whittam, and Dr. Anastasia Ponomareva at the University of Oxford, who explain how astronomers use MeerKAT to study how galaxies have changed over the history of the Universe – a process called galaxy evolution.

MIGHTEE looks at both the raw gas that fuels new stars (neutral hydrogen, or HI) and the powerful black holes at galaxy centres that can regulate star formation with their giant radio jets. The survey also brings together more than a hundred scientists worldwide and provides unique opportunities for South African students to lead exciting discoveries.

The team talk us through how they map hydrogen gas in 3D using the famous 21-cm signal, why puzzling results suggest galaxies have kept the same supply of gas even as their star formation has slowed, and how new data challenges the textbook picture of how black holes are fuelled. They also describe the practical challenges of handling thousands of radio sources and how international collaborations of around 100 astronomers make it all possible.

This episode follows on from our last, where Jacinta’s RADHIANCE students shared their Oxford adventures — now we dive into the cutting-edge science itself!

In this episode, we hear from three postgraduate astronomy students from the University of Cape Town about their worldly adventures during a research trip to the University of Oxford in the UK!

We are back with the second half of season 6!

In this episode, we are joined by Kevin Govender, Chair of the National Organising Committee and Director of the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD). With a background in Nuclear Physics, Kevin first became involved in astronomy in 2006 when he managed the Collateral Benefits Programme at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). This work ultimately led to his appointment as the inaugural Director of the OAD in 2011.

In this "mid-season special" episode, we introduce you to an extraordinary giant radio galaxy nicknamed "Inkathazo", meaning ‘trouble’ in isiXhosa and isiZulu. We speak with Kathleen Charlton, a Master’s student from the University of Cape Town, about the discovery of Inkathazo and her newly published work on the topic.

The post Episode 77: Troublesome ‘Inkathazo’ and the Age of Giants appeared first on The Cosmic Savannah.

This is a rerun of a previous episode (60) titled Pulsars and possibilities with Prof. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell. Firstly, The Cosmic Savannah is very excited to welcome a new host! We […]

The post A Heritage Day Special: Pulsars and possibilities – a conversation with Jocelyn Bell-Burnell (rerun) appeared first on The Cosmic Savannah.