Astronomy in Africa- News and Updates

The Solar Impulse flying over Morocco. Credit: MATIC/Solar Thermal

• Last week a solar-powered plane landed in Morocco after completing the first transcontinental journey for an aircraft of its kind. This represents one step toward Morocco’s national plan to develop 2000 megawatts of solar energy capacity by 2020.
• The Board of the African Renaissance Fund has approved funding for the initial work to construct a network of radio telescopes (African VLBI Network) in SKA partner countries, which include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. Other enterprises with socio-economic benefits will be able to use the roads, electricity and other infrastructure leading to the remote sites where the telescopes will be constructed.