‘I want to see the first African woman in space’: the Kenyan stargazer bringing astronomy to the people

Susan Murabana's passion for astronomy was only sparked in her 20s as science was just for boys'. Now she tours Kenya with a telescope on a mission to reveal the cosmos to all children

It's 1.30am in Kenya's parched and sparsely populated north, and 50 people are lying on their backs on the shore of a dried-up river, staring up at the night sky. Thousands of stars create a vast, glittering canvas with the ghostly glow of the Milky Way clearly visible.

These stargazers have travelled 250 miles (400km) overland from Nairobi to Samburu county to witness the Perseid meteor shower - a celestial event that happens every July and August. They are not disappointed: every few minutes, arrows of light shoot across the sky like silent fireworks, prompting gasps and arm-waving as people try to pinpoint individual shooting stars.