Stargazing in the rain

The rain drew a gauzy curtain across the view of the hills. Beyond the glistening deck, there was a grey haze where the Magaliesberg range should have been, fading to blue in the distance.

Inside, in a comfy chair, I sipped hot chocolate, while Vincent Nettmann, Maropeng’s resident astronomer, set up the projector. Other guests mingled, enjoying the complimentary welcome drinks, under the watchful eye of Sylvia Makgetla, Maropeng’s sales and marketing assistant and our host for the evening. The question on everyone’s mind was “How do we stargaze when it’s pouring down outside?”