Viaje al Universo

October 20, 2020

An astronomical week full of online and free educational activities

On Monday 19 October 2020 the ninth edition of Viaje al Universo, one of the main Education and Outreach programs hosted by NOIRLab in Chile, began. Its goal is to share the wonders of the Universe, the excitement of astronomy, and the latest technological advances at NOIRLab’s facilities with students and families in Chile and other Spanish-speaking audiences.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Viaje al Universo has been converted to a virtual program. The program includes talks on astronomical topics, the operation of telescopes, solar observations, and observations of the Moon and planets. We will also have a career panel with observatory professionals who will talk about the next generation of big telescopes.

On the opening day, the winner of the National Prize for Exact Sciences and Director of AURA in Chile, Dr. Mario Hamuy, gave a talk titled El Sol Negro (The Black Sun in English) in which he explained everything related to solar eclipses. The talk is available to watch here.

In our daily program, every day from 8 pm in Chile (4 pm MST), we will connect directly with specialists from Kitt Peak National Observatory, near Tucson, Arizona, to learn the secrets of the closest star to Earth, the Sun.

At 9 pm in Chile (5 pm MST), from the Region of Coquimbo in Chile, you will be able to participate in nighttime observations to learn about the Moon, and planets like Jupiter, Mars or Saturn.

All the above activities are free and can be followed on NOIRLab’s YouTube channel either live or after the events.