Today, the country is believed to have about 60 working astronomers, more than half of all the astronomers working in Africa. “South Africa is the jewel of African astronomy,” says Charles McGruder, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Western Kentucky University.
现在人们已经开始认真对待南非参与太空研究的决心。目前，据信约有60名天文学家居住在南非境内，占非洲所有天文学家的半数还多。西肯塔基大学物理与天文学系教授查尔斯·麦格德说，“南非是非洲天文领域的一颗明珠。”