Category Archives: Free Range

Cosmic Reconciliation * Hemelruim Versoening

Posted on by January 15, 2020

For the past decade or so I have been part of an astronomy group, the Orion Observation Group. Our main mission is to inspire others to look and appreciate the night sky.We were invited by the Afrikaanse Taalmonument (Afrikaans Language Monument) which is affiliated to the South African Department of Arts and Culture to host their popular summer season Stargazing Picnics. Once a month we set up our gear to give the public a chance to experience the night sky through our telescopes.Give and Take: Through the years my participation at the Taalmonument in Paarl, has made me much more aware of our country’s cultural diversity and so I aimed to contribute towards building a bridge between South African culture and Astronomy. I decided that a good way of achieving this would be to choose themes for our Stargazing evenings that would not only inspire budding astromers but budding artists, writers, poets and performers in any genre.

Our themes aren’t just chosen at random. First of all I scrutinize the date to see whether it coïncides with a specific astronomical event. I scour the library’s bookshelves and internet for star-related material suitable for specific dates like Valentine’s or New Year’s day. Finding new themes has been almost just as much fun as stargazing. If I find inspiration in the title of a book, in song lyrics, poetry or art, I contact the author. Most are very appreciative and give me their blessing. Some just ignore me and then I have to resume my search.So far no-one has been rude! Afrikaans is a colourful language and lends itself well to slight twisting and tweeking of the original.By now I have a file of themes with lots of memories of every Stargazing Picnic at the Taalmonument.

Initially I had something completely different lined up for 16 Dec 2017 when it dawned on me that this was a very special South African holiday: the Day of Reconciliation/Versoeningsdag. Back to the drawing board.

Hemelruim/Constellations sort of jumped off the computer screen and into my lap. When I read the synopsis I knew I had found the most perfect theme. The play “Constellations” by Nick Payne was adapted by well-known South African director, Nico Scheepers. The Afrikaans text was a triumph and “Hemelruim” staged sold-out performances at Aardklop, the KKNK and Fugard Theatre.

Reviews read: Hemelruim was an amazing theatre experience on a galactic scale
It’s about one relationship,infinite possibilities,free will and friendship; it’s also about quantum multiverse theory, love, and honey

Nico Scheepers revealed: I tried to make the characters as real as possible as people, whichever universe they’re in, because I think it is a core soul that echoes throughout all these parallel universes, with intent and choice painted over that

The theme for the Stargazing Picnic at the Taal Monument on 16 December 2017 will be:
Hemelruim Versoening/ Cosmic Reconciliation

With this I hope I can inspired more South Africans to reconcile and bring parallel universes together and most of all to inspire others to look at the stars.

Thanks to Nico Scheepers for this wonderful inspiration.
https://www.theatrescenecpt.co.za/single-post/2017/04/26/Spotlight-The-inspiration-and-talent-behind-Hemelruim

Helde

Posted on by September 28, 2017

–deur Serena Ingamells–
Laika

Die geskiedenis van lugvaart en ruimtereise is vol menslike helde soos Chuck Yaegar , Yuri Gagarin en Niel Armstrong maar daar was ook dierereisigers wat moederaarde verlaat het en ʼn bydrae tot die wetenskap gemaak het.
Alhoewel hulle rolle moontlik as passief beskou kan word bly hulle in my boek, helde.

 

Ham

Sonder hierdie eksperimente sou die mens nooit op die Maan geloop het nie maar wie sou kon dink dat die storie reeds in 1783 begin het toe die Franse broers Montgolfier met een van hulle eerste lugballonne ʼn lewendige skaap, haan en eend die lug ingestuur het? Hierdie eksperiment het voor Koning Lodewyk XVI en Marie Antoinette plaasgevind. Die vlug het 8 minute geduur en ʼn hoogte van 457 meters bereik. Al die diere is veilig teruggebring.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgolfier_brothers

Soos met die Montgolfiers was die vroeë ruimtewetenskaplikes bekommerd oor die mens se vermoë om die uitdagings van die ruimte te oorleef. In 1947 is vrugtevlieë met ʼn Amerikaanse V2-vuurpyl die ruimte ingestuur en veilig teruggebring. Sommige van die ander diere wat gevolg het, was minder gelukkig. Tussen die laat 1940’s en vroeë 1950’s is resusape (almal Albert genoem) gebruik om te bewys dis moontlik om ten minste ʼn op en af reis in die ruimte te oorleef. In 1957 was Laika, die pavement special van Moskou, die eerste ware ruimtereisiger aan boord Sputnik 2. Daar was genoeg kos vir ʼn week maar weens ʼn tegniese fout het die kapsule oorverhit en is sy binne
ʼn paar uur dood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika

Vir my is Ham, ʼn manlike sjimpansee, saam met Laika ʼn baanbreker wat dikwels vergeet word. In 1959 het die driejarige met onderrig by NASA begin. Hy is lekkerbek met piesangblokkies beloon as hy instruksie reggekry het en met ligte elektriese skokke aan sy voetsole gestraf as hy die verkeerde hefboom getrek het. Wat hom onderskei van al die vorige diere is dat hy nie bloot ʼn passasier was nie. Sy suksesvolle toetsvlug van 16 minute en 39 sekondes op 31 Januarie 1961, het die pad vir Allan Shepard gebaan, die tweede mens en eerste Amerikaner in die ruimte.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_(chimpanzee)

Hierdie dierehelde het die fondament vir menslike ruimtevaart neergelê en ons groot sprong na die volgende avontuur verseker. Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit – to boldly go where no man has gone before – dit het Laika en Ham met lof gedoen.