Zimbabwean Astronomical Society

It was a great honour to give a talk on my PhD research at the Ethiopian Space Sciences and Geospatial Institute 😁. I also shared plenty of information about the Zimbabwean Astronomical Society, I’m looking forward to future collaborations between our two great countries 🇪🇹🇿🇼 🙌🏾

I’m so excited to give a talk at the Ethiopian Space Sciences and Geospatial Institute on Monday morning! I will talk about my PhD research to date, and the Zimbabwean Astronomical Society 😁

Yesterday marked the end of the IAU General Assembly 2024 #IAUGA2024 where in the second week of the conference, we had more presentations of posters and talks. Ashley Nyamandi and Munashe Manyevere presented their posters, and Jason Shingirai Makechemu presented his talk in the last session of the conference! - In addition to that, Thobekile Ngwane and Jason Shingirai Makechemu promoted their own research, and ZAS to an audience of hundreds through the Radio Astro radio show, and a Cosmic Savannah interview episode 😁 . More info on the interview to follow! . #zimbabwe #astronomy #ZAS

Professor Nyambuya from the National University of Science and Technology shared his research with numerous people during one of the poster sessions at the #IAUGA2024 😀 . This was a great opportunity to showcase Prof’s ongoing research in the field of theoretical astrophysics with his poster titled “A Plausible Solution to the Hubble Tension via Cosmologically Varying Fundamental Natural Constants” 😁. . #zas #zimbabwe #astronomy #cosmology

The first week of the #IAUGA2024 has been immensely hectic, but a great success so far! . With a focus meeting led by Prof. Mohamed, a talk given by Thobekile Ngwane, a poster presented by PROF. Dr. Golden Gadzirayi Nyambuya wa Soko-Mkanya, and school outreach done by Ashley Nyamandi, we have kept extremely busy! . This is not to mention our efforts to expand collaboration between our neighbours and within the wider Africa region such as with Associação Moçambicana de Astronomia and discussions involving the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development . . We are looking forward to what we will finish this event with as we have many more things planned 😁 . #zas #zimbabwe #astronomy

Great first day at the #IAUGA2024 in the Focus Meeting 7 hackathon led by Professor Shazrene Mohamed #GAFM7_Hackathon! 💫 . The President and Vice-President of ZAS both found their feet, with the hackathon set to continue and finish tomorrow! . An added bonus was seeing Professor Nyambuya! 😁 . #zas #zimbabwe #astronomy

Munashe Manyevere, a 4th-year Applied Physics student at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be presenting his poster on this research at the 32nd IAU General Assembly in Cape Town, from the 6th to the 15th of August 2024. The title of his poster is Testing the Validity and Applicability of the Massive Photon Theory on the Problem of the Anomalous Flat Rotation Curves of Spiral Galaxies and you can find the abstract below. His poster session will be part of Poster Session FM9-3, “Measures of luminous and dark matter in galaxies across time”, scheduled for Thursday, 15 August 2024, between 10:00 and 10:30am. We are very excited to learn more about Munashe’s work and invite you to join and engage with us at the 32nd IAU General Assembly to learn more about Munashe’s research and the potential implications of the Massive Photon Theory on our understanding of dark matter.

Mduduzi Blessing Ncube, a dedicated member of the Zimbabwe Astronomical Society (ZAS) and a soon-to-be graduate with a Master’s degree in Geophysics from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Zimbabwe, has been working on his research on upper atmospheric lightning. His work, which examines the long-term impacts of space weather on Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere, has taken a significant step forward with the launch of the ILAN Space Lightning committee at NUST. Recently, Mduduzi was part of the milestone launch of ILAN Space Lightning NUST, a committee dedicated to the continuous monitoring of upper atmospheric lightning and its changes due to climate change. At this event, Mduduzi presented his research to an esteemed Israeli professor from Reichman University, Israel, who has provided essential equipment for the project. Advocate Ruvimbo Samanyanga, the liaison, also attended the event. For his master’s degree project, Mduduzi investigated upper atmospheric lightning discharges caused by cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-cloud lightning strikes. His research explores the implications of these discharges on air quality through the formation of free radicals in the atmosphere. This study is crucial for understanding how lightning affects atmospheric composition and air quality. This initiative will provide valuable data on the behavior of upper atmospheric lightning, contributing to climate science and atmospheric research. The project shows the importance of international collaboration in addressing complex scientific questions and enhancing research capabilities within Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Astronomical Society is proud to support members like Mduduzi, who are leading innovative projects that push the boundaries of our understanding of space weather and atmospheric science. Follow our journey as we explore these critical phenomena and their implications for our planet.

Happy international Moon Day! The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite, and it has been a source of wonder and worship ever since humanity began. - Interestingly, the Moon plays an important role in how us humans think about time! For example, many countries have lunar calendars, like Zimbabwe used to use, hence why the name for the word ‘month’ translates to ‘mwedzi’, which also means Moon! . #zimbabwe #astronomy #zas #moon

Amazing news! The ZAS head of outreach and education, Professor Golden Nyambuya, has been appointed by The International Astronomical Union as the head national astronomy outreach coordinator for Zimbabwe. This will be transformative for the field of astronomy in Zimbabwe and the wider region! - Makorokoto! Mukuru we outreach and education musangano reZAS, Professor Golden Nyambuya vagadzwa nesangano reIAU kuti vave ivo Head National Astronomy Outreach Coordinator we Zimbabwe. Chiitiko ichi chichashandura zvakanyanya gwara rezvidzidzo zve astronomy mu Zimbabwe nenzvimbo dzakatekeshera! - #zimbabwe #zas #astronomy #iau