The Cosmic Savannah Ep. 083: Celebrating 20 Years of SALT

Hosted by Dr. Jacinta Delhaize & François Campher. Jacinta and Francois wrap up Season 6 of The Cosmic Savannah with this exciting and reflective episode, discussing the history, science and legacy of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) which celebrated it's 20th anniversary in November of 2025. The team is joined by Professor David Buckley from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), who served as the project scientist for the SALT project. In this episode, we discuss the full evolution of SALT, from idea to instrument and all the chaos along the way and also what the future holds for SALT and South African astronomy. Join us for this fascinating look at the history and continued work of SALT!   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].