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New Era (Windhoek)- Namibia
Sept 29 2004
A New Look At the Stars
Wezi Tjaronda
Windhoek
SCORES of scholars, researchers and scientists descended on Farm
Goellschau for the inauguration of the HESS telescope observatory,
which will provide answers to how the most violent of things happen
in the universe.
With the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) telescopes erected
two years ago, scientists have observed the gamma rays from a binary
system, in this case a Be star. The observations performed between
February and May this year are the first discovery of a binary system
emitting energetic gamma rays. It also observed a mysterious source
of gamma rays as the first unidentified TeV source discovered by the
HESS experiment.
The universe contains a large cluster of galaxies with very high
energy sources that emit gamma radiation.
"Gamma rays have highest energy in the spectrum of cosmic emissions.
High energy processes cause the radiation," said the chairman of the
HESS Collaboration Board, Professor Heinrich Völk yesterday.
During observations with the antennae , a second hot spot had been
discovered which was a new, as yet unknown, source of high-energy
gamma rays.
"Detailed investigations of the emission characteristics of the hot
spot have shown that the according to scientists.
The system can also observe the explosion of stars by means of the
gamma rays and a lot of other cosmic objects that are invisible to
the naked eye or a normal telescope.
Other discoveries have also been made but have not yet been made
public.
HESS detects sources 100 times faster than previous experiments and
opens a new window on the high-energy universe.
"These are the best results worldwide," said Prof Völk.
The project is one of four gamma ray observatories in the world with
the other three in Australia, the Canary Islands and the United
States of America.
The Gamsberg area is said to be a excellent site for the project
because it has clear skies and dark nights, thus making it one of the
best astronomical sites in the world.
It was set up to discover more about the very early universe and was
from the beginning planned to be the biggest gamma ray stereoscopic
system in the world.
One of its objectives is to provide a better understanding of the
properties of particles that challenge science and the understanding
of the laws of physics.
It will allow scientists to observe the most violent events in the
universe such as exploding stars, black holes and jets of matter
which move at incredible speeds.
The HESS equipment was inaugurated by Prime Minister Theo Ben Gurirab
yesterday, and he pointed out that astronomy was one of the
pioneering and instrumental sciences in helping the human race to
understand the solar system.
"The HESS instruments that we see here today will help to open up new
vistas for astronomy and will no doubt make Namibia one of the few
leading centres in the world, along with South Africa, Chile, Hawaii
and some others," he said.
Gurirab said that through the collaboration of several countries in
the project - Namibia, Germany, France, South Africa, the United
Kingdom, Ireland, Armenia and the Czech Republic amongst others -
Namibian scientists would one day echo Isaac Newton's words that " if
I have been able to see further, it was because I stood on the
shoulders of giants."
He said the project should serve as a centre of discovery and
excellence to Namibians to enhance the country's quest for research
and knowledge in astronomy.
Scientists from France, Germany and South Africa hailed the project
and highlighted the importance of astronomical discoveries like the
ones from the HESS project on African soil.
Dr Khotso Mokhele, President of the National Research Foundation,
noted that astronomy was the key to all things contrary to the belief
that it was just the study of the blue sky with no use for the human
race.
For Professor Enos Kiremire, acting Dean of the Science Faculty at
the University of Namibia, yesterday was a day of victory for
science. And since Namibia and Africa were hungry for knowledge it
could now be obtained from the HESS project.
Namibia could now not be ignored anymore according to German
Ambassador Dr Wolfgang Massing since the project had put the country
on the world map.
The event was attended by the former president of the Max Planck
Society, Professor Reimer Lüst, and representatives of the French
Embassy, ministries of education and research in France and the
director of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics and Particle
Physics in France, Dr Michel Spiro.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Sept 29 2004
A New Look At the Stars
Wezi Tjaronda
Windhoek
SCORES of scholars, researchers and scientists descended on Farm
Goellschau for the inauguration of the HESS telescope observatory,
which will provide answers to how the most violent of things happen
in the universe.
With the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) telescopes erected
two years ago, scientists have observed the gamma rays from a binary
system, in this case a Be star. The observations performed between
February and May this year are the first discovery of a binary system
emitting energetic gamma rays. It also observed a mysterious source
of gamma rays as the first unidentified TeV source discovered by the
HESS experiment.
The universe contains a large cluster of galaxies with very high
energy sources that emit gamma radiation.
"Gamma rays have highest energy in the spectrum of cosmic emissions.
High energy processes cause the radiation," said the chairman of the
HESS Collaboration Board, Professor Heinrich Völk yesterday.
During observations with the antennae , a second hot spot had been
discovered which was a new, as yet unknown, source of high-energy
gamma rays.
"Detailed investigations of the emission characteristics of the hot
spot have shown that the according to scientists.
The system can also observe the explosion of stars by means of the
gamma rays and a lot of other cosmic objects that are invisible to
the naked eye or a normal telescope.
Other discoveries have also been made but have not yet been made
public.
HESS detects sources 100 times faster than previous experiments and
opens a new window on the high-energy universe.
"These are the best results worldwide," said Prof Völk.
The project is one of four gamma ray observatories in the world with
the other three in Australia, the Canary Islands and the United
States of America.
The Gamsberg area is said to be a excellent site for the project
because it has clear skies and dark nights, thus making it one of the
best astronomical sites in the world.
It was set up to discover more about the very early universe and was
from the beginning planned to be the biggest gamma ray stereoscopic
system in the world.
One of its objectives is to provide a better understanding of the
properties of particles that challenge science and the understanding
of the laws of physics.
It will allow scientists to observe the most violent events in the
universe such as exploding stars, black holes and jets of matter
which move at incredible speeds.
The HESS equipment was inaugurated by Prime Minister Theo Ben Gurirab
yesterday, and he pointed out that astronomy was one of the
pioneering and instrumental sciences in helping the human race to
understand the solar system.
"The HESS instruments that we see here today will help to open up new
vistas for astronomy and will no doubt make Namibia one of the few
leading centres in the world, along with South Africa, Chile, Hawaii
and some others," he said.
Gurirab said that through the collaboration of several countries in
the project - Namibia, Germany, France, South Africa, the United
Kingdom, Ireland, Armenia and the Czech Republic amongst others -
Namibian scientists would one day echo Isaac Newton's words that " if
I have been able to see further, it was because I stood on the
shoulders of giants."
He said the project should serve as a centre of discovery and
excellence to Namibians to enhance the country's quest for research
and knowledge in astronomy.
Scientists from France, Germany and South Africa hailed the project
and highlighted the importance of astronomical discoveries like the
ones from the HESS project on African soil.
Dr Khotso Mokhele, President of the National Research Foundation,
noted that astronomy was the key to all things contrary to the belief
that it was just the study of the blue sky with no use for the human
race.
For Professor Enos Kiremire, acting Dean of the Science Faculty at
the University of Namibia, yesterday was a day of victory for
science. And since Namibia and Africa were hungry for knowledge it
could now be obtained from the HESS project.
Namibia could now not be ignored anymore according to German
Ambassador Dr Wolfgang Massing since the project had put the country
on the world map.
The event was attended by the former president of the Max Planck
Society, Professor Reimer Lüst, and representatives of the French
Embassy, ministries of education and research in France and the
director of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics and Particle
Physics in France, Dr Michel Spiro.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress