Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, WITS University

01/09/2026

Hello Spring! 🌸🌺🌷🌻🌼

As winter fades and new beginnings bloom, we’re welcoming Spring Day beneath the stars at the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome.

Just as flowers turn toward the Sun, we invite you to look up and reconnect with the wonder of our universe. Whether you’re exploring distant planets, discovering ancient starlore, or experiencing immersive shows under our spectacular dome, there’s no better season to be inspired.

This September, join us as we celebrate:
🌷 Spring Day
🌍 Tourism Month
🇿🇦 Heritage Month
🪐Incredible journeys through science, culture, and the cosmos

Stay tuned to see what we have in store for you this September.

Here’s to longer days, brighter skies, and unforgettable adventures under one shared sky.

31/08/2026

🪐Twenty years ago Pluto lost its planethood🪐

In August 2006, Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Why? Pluto did not quite meet all three criteria for being a planet, according to the definition of a planet by the IAU. It orbits the Sun, it is round, but it has not cleared its neighbourhood of other objects. Basically, Pluto lives in a very crowded cosmic suburb. 🏘️❄️

But here is the plot twist: Pluto did not become less interesting because of semantics. It is still a fascinating icy world with mountains, glaciers, a heart-shaped region and a surprisingly complex atmosphere. Pluto exists as an intriguing world worthy of study and exploration, regardless of labels.❤️

Be more like Pluto - stay true to your own orbit even when the world changes your label. 💙

More information on Pluto - https://science.nasa.gov/dwarf-planets/pluto/facts/

28/08/2026

🌕🌑 This morning’s lunar eclipse

What a spectacular sight in the early hours of today as the Moon moved through Earth’s shadow during a deep partial lunar eclipse. ✨

Thank you to Mark Chertkow from Graphic Image Technologies for capturing and sharing this beautiful image of the eclipse with us. Mark is also a member of the Astronomy - ASSA Johannesburg Centre.

📸 Photo: Mark Chertkow
© Mark Chertkow. Shared with permission.

Did you manage to catch the eclipse before sunrise? Share your photos and experiences in the comments! 🌙🔭

28/08/2026

🚀🔭 A new eye on the Universe is about to launch!

The countdown is on for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch on 30 August 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center. 🌌

Named after NASA’s first chief astronomer, the 'mother of the Hubble Space Telescope,' the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble's, potentially measuring light from a billion galaxies in its lifetime.

Roman's science goals include

🌑 Dark energy & dark matter - What drives the expansion and structure of our Universe?
🪐 Exoplanets - How many worlds are out there, and what are they like?
🌠 Galaxies & cosmic structure - How did the Universe evolve?
🔭 A panoramic view of the cosmos - Roman will survey huge areas of the sky, potentially observing billions of galaxies over its mission.

Roman will journey about 1.5 million km from Earth (at L2 - Lagrange point 2, keeping the Earth between the Sun and the telescope), where it will begin its mission to explore some of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics.

The next great chapter in our exploration of the Universe is about to begin. ✨

📅 Launch: 30 August 2026
🚀 Rocket: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
📍 Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Keep looking up. The Universe is waiting. 🌌

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sets-coverage-for-roman-space-telescope-launch-from-florida/

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and astrophysics.

27/08/2026

26/08/2026

🌕Partial Lunar Eclipse Over Johannesburg🌑

August 2026 features a pair of eclipses occurring just two weeks apart during a single eclipse season. It started with a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, which was visible across northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain (not visible from South Africa). This will be followed by an upcoming partial lunar eclipse and Johannesburg sky watchers have a celestial treat to look forward to! 🌕🌑

A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the early hours of 28 August 2026 from Johannesburg.

🌘 04:33 - Partial eclipse begins
🌑 06:12 - Maximum eclipse
06:26 - Moonset

Around 96% of the Moon will pass through Earth’s darkest shadow, creating a dramatic sight in the sky. While a small portion of the Moon will remain illuminated, most of the Moon is expected to glow a reddish hue as sunlight filters through Earth’s atmosphere. Since this is not a total lunar eclipse, it will not technically be called a "blood moon", but it can be still a spectacular view. (Image from the Digital Dome software).

The Moon will be very low in the western sky, so find a spot with a clear, unobstructed view. No special equipment is needed, although binoculars or a telescope can reveal more detail.

More information - https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/south-africa/johannesburg?iso=20260828

25/08/2026

🌌 HERITAGE MONTH SPECIAL | The Sky Remembers: Our Shared Cosmos

This Heritage Month, look up and reconnect with the stories written across the sky. ✨

"The Sky Remembers: Our Shared Cosmos" is a special Heritage Month presentation that journeys across cultures, continents and generations to explore the ways people have looked to the night sky to understand their world, tell stories, navigate their surroundings and make sense of their place in the cosmos.

Drawing from the One Sky Project https://oneskyproject.org/ and the South African-produced fulldome film Sida Tsoatsoas – Our Beginning by VR Capture, the show brings together diverse traditions of cultural astronomy, highlighting both the extraordinary diversity and shared humanity of our relationship with the stars.

From indigenous African star lore to astronomical traditions from ancient Greece, land of the Navajo people, 18th century India, northern Canada, Japan, and Hawaii, audiences will discover that the same stars can inspire very different stories, knowledge systems and ways of seeing. Through immersive visuals, storytelling, and the night sky itself, the experience invites us to consider how astronomy is not only a science of distant worlds, but also part of our cultural heritage.

At its heart, "The Sky Remembers: Our Shared Cosmos" celebrates a simple truth: we may have different stories about the stars, but we all share the same sky. 🌍🌟

📍 Wits Anglo American Digital Dome
🎟️ Book your tickets and experience Heritage Month under the stars!
https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1568732972

Read more about the One Sky Project - https://oneskyproject.org/

14/08/2026

🌍✨ DIGITAL DOME FESTIVAL 2026 ✨🌍

Stories Spoken. Stories Seen.

Following the success of the 2025 festival, the Digital Dome Festival returns to the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, Johannesburg, celebrating African stories through immersive technology.

Experience dome animations, immersive experiences, VR, workshops, panels and digital projections as traditional stories meet cutting-edge technology.

🌍 Culture. Creativity. Connection. All under one dome.

📍 Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, Johannesburg
📅 21-22 August 2026
🎟️ https://www.quicket.co.za/events/388504-stories-spoken-stories-seen #/

Come see Africa’s stories in a whole new way.

12/08/2026

While it’s night time here in South Africa, thousands of skywatchers across the Northern Hemisphere spent their afternoon watching day temporarily turn into night!

Today, 12 August 2026, brought a breathtaking Total Solar Eclipse, mainland Europe’s first since 1999!

Here is the complete cosmic breakdown of today’s event and what is ahead for our local skies:

Where was Totality visible?
The narrow path of totality swept across Greenland, Iceland, and straight through Spain and Portugal. Observers along the center line experienced over two minutes of darkness, witnessing the Sun’s glowing corona bursting with dynamic plasma streamers, a signature highlight of being near Solar Max!

Why did South Africa miss out?
Cosmic geometry! The Moon’s core shadow (the umbra) is only a few hundred kilometres wide. Today’s alignment was angled far to the North, leaving Southern Africa completely outside both totality and partial shade.

When is it our turn in SA? 🇿🇦
* 28 August 2026 (Partial Lunar Eclipse): In just two weeks, South Africans get a front-row seat to a dramatic 96% partial lunar eclipse right before sunrise!
* 25 November 2030 (Total Solar Eclipse): Mark your calendars—a total solar eclipse will sweep directly across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Lesotho!