The workshops and talks once again mark the agenda of institutions and universities, seeking to empower citizens with the knowledge for which our country stands out internationally.
Every year, on March 21, Chile turns to its northern astronomical treasures, the great discoveries of the cosmos and hundreds of talks, workshops and activities throughout the country. Astronomy Day 2023 is loaded with new experiences and the Department of Astronomy of the University of Concepción (UdeC) is not left out of such a great celebration either.
This date, which usually lasts a week despite the name, arose in 2014 through the joint work of the Planetarium of the University of Santiago de Chile, the Chilean Astronomical Society (SOCHIAS) and the Public Science Program of the Ministry of Science Technology.
Since that year, UdeC Astronomy has participated exhaustively proposing a series of activities, and this year is no exception.
Science comes to schools
Visits to educational institutions, a discussion at the Casa del Arte UdeC and a new version of “Astro-chela” are part of the programmatic grid brought to you thanks to the support of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies CATA, Núcleo Milenio Titans, Dedoscopio and the Astronomical Dissemination Team, EDA, of the Department.
For beer lovers, “Astro Chela” returns with its 2nd talk in March, under the “round table” format where the academic and manager of the Department’s Theory Group, Dr. Michael Fellhauer, will be able to answer the questions of the attendees, while they taste the best drinks that Corral BeerBar can offer. The appointment is Monday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. at Los Olmos 1280, Concepción.
In turn, that same day the Wessex School in the Concepción commune will receive two EDA workshops focused on elementary and middle school students.
For the students of the communes of Curanilahue and Chillán, the EDA will carry out a series of workshops aimed at educational establishments in the respective cities, both on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd, respectively.
In addition, in the commune of the province of Arauco, the Center for Astronomical Instrumentation, CePIA, will seek to provide knowledge and open interest in the development and transfer of technology of young people in professional technical secondary education, in order to support their future elections for higher education.
Along with all of the above, in Chillán art teachers and artists from the Ñuble region will be able to participate in a talk given by the astronomer and director of Research and Artistic Creation at the UdeC, Dr. Ronald Mennickent Cid, which seeks to combine the best of both worlds.
A series of keynote talks
On Thursday 23, the academic and popularizer of the Department, Dr. Ricardo Demarco López, will appear at the Angol Municipal Theater with the talk “Our Universe”, while in parallel activities are carried out for basic education students.
The Liceo Bicentenario de Rengo and the Liceo República de Ecuador will be in charge of receiving the academics, Dr. Rodrigo Herrera Camus and Dr. Neil Nagar, respectively, who will give talks for the named educational communities on Friday the 24th.
Dedoscope, an outreach group focused on bringing astronomy to people with visual disabilities formed by Carla Fuentes Muñoz and Pamela Paredes Sabando, will carry out activities in conjunction with the University of Talca and the Las Campanas Observatory. Along with this, the teacher and astronomer, Fernando Cortés, will visit the U de Talca, where a solar observation experience will be set up through telescopes with special filters.
Lastly, all the public interested in astronomy is invited to participate in the discussion “Chile and our place in the Universe”, part of the Contemporary Dialogues series at the Pinacoteca UdeC, which will be broadcast by TVU. On Saturday the 25th at 11:30 am, the academics Dr. Amelia Stutz, Dr. Rodrigo Herrera Camus and Dr. Rodrigo Reeves Díaz will meet to comment on the importance of astronomy in our country.
