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Visitors from all over the country have come to Sutherland for some serious stargazing
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Busy SAAO visitor centre in Sutherland
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Essential Astronomy workshop given by Kevin Govender
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Essential Astronomy workshop given by Kevin Govender
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A gift from 2008: A colourful 22 degree arc around the sun!
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Marshals from town help with security on the plateau
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Music welcomes the visitors
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Registration desk for the Sutherland IYA2009 star party
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Big telescopes and future astronomers
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Putting together the telescopes for the night
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Chilling in the last blazing sunlight of 2008
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Telescopes ready for the night
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The pubic makign themselves at home on the Sutherland plateau
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The pubic making themselves at home on the Sutherland plateau
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Ready to chill out all night
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Taking pictures of the last sunset of 2008
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Last sunlight of 2008
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Telescopes being prepared already attract the attention of the public
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Measuring the wind
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Preparing telescopes for the night
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Preparing the telescopes for the night (SALT in the background)
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Marshals from the town of Sutherland
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SALT in the ink light of the last sunet of 2008
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2008 granted us a glorious goodbye sunset
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2008 granted us a glorious goodbye sunset
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SALT just after sunset
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SALT just after sunset
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Getting together for the last night of 2008
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Getting together to enter the IYA2009
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Getting together for the last night of 2008
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Astronomers getting ready for the night
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Astronomers getting ready for the night with the moon
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A 6" refractor aiming at Venus
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The Sutherland plateau: Telescope domes, the moon and Venus
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The moon and Venus
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Spying Venus
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Lines forming to visit the telescope with the moon and Venus in the last light of sunset
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Waiting to visit the 1.9m telescope
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Visiting the 1.9m telescope
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Looking at the sky through the 20" telescope
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Looking at the sky through the 20" telescope
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The moon and Venus are setting as the clouds recede to reveal a magnificent sky.
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The Milky Way above the telescopes
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Explanations at the 30" telescope
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Visit to the 30" telescope
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Visit to the SALT control room
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Visit to the SALT control room
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SALT control room II (no public access...)
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Visit to the SALT control room
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Members of the public chatting to the SALT astronomers and technicians
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The volunteer helpers get food during the night
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Waiting for a visit to SALT
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Telescopes pointing at the marvels of the Night Sky
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Preparing hot dogs and hot tea for the visitors
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Listening to Prof. Phil Charles' wishes for 2009
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New Year's speech given by Prof. Phil Charles
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Art event with glow sticks, gauze and lasers
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Art event with glow sticks, gauze and lasers
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SALT and visitors
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SALT (big) and visitors (small)
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Big mirror, small people :)
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SALT, the dome, and the visitors
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SALT and visitors
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SALT and visitors
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SALT and visitors
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SALT and visitors
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SALT in its dome
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Payload of instruments
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Structure bearing 100 tons of telescope
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The faceted eye of Africa
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The telescope up close
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SALTs mirrors
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A glimpse of SALT
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Sleeping out at 1800 metres
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Before the 1st sunrise of 2009
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Sharing the 1st 2009 sunrise
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1st 2009 sunrise
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1st light of 2009
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Good morning 2009
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Before the 1st 2009 sunrise
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Before the 1st 2009 sunrise
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waking up to 2009
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1 jan 2009 sunrise
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The die-hards at sunrise
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Taking pictures of the 1st sunrise of 2009
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The survivors!
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The survivors!
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1st sunrise of 2009
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Shadows of the telescopes on the Karoo landscape
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Shadows of the telescopes
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Sunrise on SALT
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Shadow of SALT on the hostel
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