‘Rising Star: A South African Astronomy Journey’ is a locally produced short film that premièred at Cape Town’s Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome on Monday.
Producers of ‘Rising Star’ hope to draw South Africans and international audiences closer to the world of astronomy research being done in the country. Picture: Kevin Brandt/EWN
CAPE TOWN – South Africans will now get a closer look at how astronomy research in the country is being conducted and has evolved over the years.
Rising Star: A South African Astronomy Journey is a locally produced short film that premièred at Cape Town’s Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome on Monday.
#RisingStar Producers hope to draw South Africans and international audiences closer to the world of astronomy research being done in the country. KB pic.twitter.com/ekIWvRubfV
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) October 19, 2020
The screening preceded the South African Astronomical Observatory’s (SAAO) bicentenary celebrations and its unveiling as a National Heritage Site on Tuesday.
The 24-minute-long fulldome film explains recently captured transient astronomical events. These events may last for a couple of seconds, a few days even up to weeks and several years.
#RisingStar Locally produced planetarium film Rising Star :A South African Astronomy Journey premired at the Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome in Cape Town today. KB Supplied pic.twitter.com/tSOvOYs5zA
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) October 19, 2020
One of the short film’s producers, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Astronomy Dr Sally Macfarlane said the film would be released at the Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome, Bloemfontein’s Naval Hill Planetarium as well as the Sutherland Planetarium.
The SAAO and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) supported the project.
It was produced by the company VR Capture Virtual Reality Production.