In Chile, science and technology are celebrated during October, with various activities throughout the country with the purpose of creating opportunities for community participation and developing events that highlight the importance of science and technology in today's society.
LCO was once again part of these activities, beginning the celebrations with the ULS Science Week, an event held on October 6 that attracted more than 7 thousand people. There, the observatory exhibited the suitcase “Universe in all senses”, which includes 12 inclusive experiences to explore the planets, the Moon, the Sun and other objects of the Solar System.
In addition, in conjunction with the Astronomy Foundation, the University of La Serena and the U.S. Embassy in Chile, under the leadership of the foundation, the exhibition “Mision Luna|Marte” was developed, which included six modules, among them a simulator to drive a rover on the Moon, a model of the ALMA Observatory, augmented reality stations, an inflatable planetarium with 360° audiovisual projections of space exploration missions. In addition, board games and educational material were available.
The event was held at the university's Andres Bello Campus between October 6 and 12, focusing mainly on a school audience.
Finally, on October 17, LCO went to Paihuano (Coquimbo Region) to conduct workshops at the Liceo Mistraliano, together with the LabMovil “Conciencia Astronomía”. More than a hundred students participated in the event.
As part of the celebrations, during October LCO also held the fourth version of the online meetings for teachers, via Zoom, focused on high school teachers. The topics covered were the movements of the Earth-Moon-Sun system, optics and telescopes, astronomical research in Chile, 20th century astronomy, and Newton and gravitational force. Nearly 200 teachers from different regions of Chile and Spanish-speaking countries participated in the meetings.