[Al Ahram] Æthiopia unveiled Friday the first phase of a space exploration programme, which includes East Africa's largest observatory designed to promote astronomy research in the region."The optical astronomical telescope is mainly intended for astronomy and astrophysics observation research," said observatory director Solomon Belay.
The observatory, which will formally be opened on Saturday, boasts two telescopes, each one metre (over three feet) wide, to see "extra planets, different types of stars, the Milky Way, and deep galaxies," Solomon added.
The 3.4 million dollar (2.5 million euro) observatory, run by the Æthiopian Space Science Society (ESSS), is funded by Æthiopian-Saudi business tycoon Mohammed Alamoudi.
The observatory, 3,200 metres (10,500 feet) above sea level in the lush Entoto mountains on the outskirts of the Æthiopian capital Addis Ababa, is an ideal location because of its minimal cloud cover, moderate winds and low humidity, experts said.
When established in 2004, ESSS was labelled as the "Crazy People's Club", according to the group, but has gained credibility in the past decade with astronomy courses introduced at universities and winning increased political support.
The Æthiopian government is set to launch a space policy in coming years.
Solomon said the group originally faced sceptics in Æthiopia and abroad, who questioned whether space exploration was a wise use of resources in one of Africa's poorest economies, plagued in the past by chronic famine and unrest.
But Solomon said promoting science is key to the development in Æthiopia, today one of Africa's fastest growing economies largely based on agriculture.