Carnarvon, South Africa
Encyclopedia
Carnarvon is a small town in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa
. Originally established in 1860 as the village of Harmsfontein, it was located within the territory of Schietfontein, the only water source in the area and the site of the Rhenish mission
station founded in 1847 by the missionary, Rev. Christian Wilhelm Alheit
. Some of the original mission buildings are still in use. The name was changed in 1874 in honour of the British Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon
(1831 - 1890), whose son, also Lord Cararvon
, was the famous Egyptologist.
The main agricultural activity is sheep farming.
A site near Carnarvon has been chosen for the construction from 2009 of MeerKAT
, an array of 50 or more 12m diameter radio dishes, a pilot project for the massive Square Kilometre Array
telescope
. The decision on where the full SKA will be located will be taken in 2012.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Originally established in 1860 as the village of Harmsfontein, it was located within the territory of Schietfontein, the only water source in the area and the site of the Rhenish mission
Rhenish Missionary Society
The Rhenish Missionary Society was one of the largest missionary societies in Germany. Formed from smaller missions founded as far back as 1799, the Society was amalgamated on 23 September 1828, and its first missionaries were ordained and sent off to South Africa by the end of the year.The...
station founded in 1847 by the missionary, Rev. Christian Wilhelm Alheit
Christian Wilhelm Alheit
Christian Wilhelm Alheit also known as Christoph Wilhelm Alheit 13 November 1817 Mühlhausen, Thüringen - 21 March 1882 Steinthal, Tulbagh district, was a Rhenish missionary....
. Some of the original mission buildings are still in use. The name was changed in 1874 in honour of the British Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon
Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, PC, DL, FSA, FRS , known as Lord Porchester from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party...
(1831 - 1890), whose son, also Lord Cararvon
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon was an English aristocrat best known as the financial backer of the search for and the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.-Biography:...
, was the famous Egyptologist.
The main agricultural activity is sheep farming.
A site near Carnarvon has been chosen for the construction from 2009 of MeerKAT
MeerKAT
MeerKAT is a radio telescope under construction in the Northern Cape of South Africa. It will be the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere until the Square Kilometer Array is completed around 2024.The telescope will be used for research into cosmic magnetism,...
, an array of 50 or more 12m diameter radio dishes, a pilot project for the massive Square Kilometre Array
Square Kilometre Array
The Square Kilometre Array is a radio telescope in development which will have a total collecting area of approximately one square kilometre. It will operate over a wide range of frequencies and its size will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument...
telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
. The decision on where the full SKA will be located will be taken in 2012.