Solved for X! UP IDIA team part of research that solves mystery of X-shaped radio galaxies with MeerKAT telescope

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This study was carried out by a team from the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the (US) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the University of Pretoria, and Rhodes University. The results will be published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr Kshitij Thorat, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria and second author of the paper, explained: … Read More

Two UWC “ambassadors” nominated for Science Oscars

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Two academics from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) have been nominated for the 22nd prestigious National Science and Technology Forum-South32 (NSTF-South32) Awards, popularly known as “Science Oscars of South Africa”. International renowned academic Associate Professor Carolina Ödman has been nominated for the Communication Award for her pioneering work in astronomy outreach, development and education. The Communication Award recognises … Read More

CARTA Version 1.3 Release

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The Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA) is a new image visualization and analysis tool designed for ALMA, the VLA and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) pathfinder telescopes. CARTA is developed by a consortium of the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), … Read More

SPU hosts Ilifu Big Data Hackathon 2020

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Sol Plaatje University hosted the Ilifu Big Data Hackathon from 12 – 13 March 2020. The Ilifu Human Capital Development and Outreach Committee in partnership with SPU’s School of Natural and Applied Sciences aims to promote active usage of ilifu (a big data infrastructure for data-intensive research) through hands-on activities, training and skills development.  The aim of the Hackathon is … Read More

The 2019 Women in Science lunches at UWC

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The impact of a social network of peers on academic achievement and dropout rates in minorities is a well- studied subject (1). While no formal study of this kind has been carried out in South Africa, generally, findings internationally agree that the less isolated minority students are, the more likely they are to succeed individually, and as a group (2). … Read More

IDIA Welcomes New Postdoc

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We are excited to announce that we will be joined by a new postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Francesco Cavallaro, who will be based at the University of Cape Town. Dr. Cavallaro will be working with the ThunderKAT, MIGHTEE and MeerLICHT projects on research into stellar radio emission. Dr. Cavallaro joins us from Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) in Catania, Sicily, … Read More

IDIA Offices Temporarily Closed

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The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), a partnership of the University of Cape Town (UCT); University of Pretoria (UP) and University of the Western Cape (UWC), has taken the decision to close its offices. This is in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of a State of National Disaster, and our decision to implement precautionary, proactive measures to … Read More

Shedding new light on black hole ejections

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Academics from the University of Cape Town (UCT) are part of a research group led by the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics that has observed a black hole ejecting material at close to the speed of light out to some of the largest angular distances (separations) ever seen. These observations have allowed a deeper understanding of how black holes … Read More

Prof Ewine van Dishoeck Engages Scientists and Community

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The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy was honoured to have Prof. Ewine Fleur van Dishoeck, professor of Molecular Astrophysics at Leiden Observatory and president of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), who dedicated a whole morning out of her incredibly busy schedule to deliver a special colloquium at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of the Western … Read More