Families and students from Cerro Navia learned about astronomy at the Science Fair

Our Center participated in the Fourth Edition of the Community Science Fair, organized by the Municipality's Science Department.

The Center for Astrophysics and Associated Technologies (CATA) (ANID Basal Center) participated in the 4th Cerro Navia Science Fair, an event held at the municipal gymnasium that brought together more than 3,500 attendees, including students, families, and the community at large.

The activity was organized by the Science Department of the Municipality of Cerro Navia and was attended by various institutions that seek to promote science, technology, and innovation among children and young people.

The CATA team was made up of José Utreras, the Center’s Content and Outreach Coordinator, along with outreach monitors Felipe Vivanco, Marcela López, Jaime Castillo, and Daniela Rojas, who presented a series of interactive experiences designed to spark curiosity about the universe.

Among the activities at the stand, highlights included a model of the Moon, virtual reality glasses with images of the universe, astronaut and alien “big boys,” and a badge machine, which allowed visitors to take home a souvenir of their visit to the CATA space.

Astronomer and CATA outreach monitor Marcela López highlighted the public’s enthusiasm for the Center’s activities. “There was a lot of interest in learning and understanding what we had at the stand. I gave short talks about the Moon and we gave out badges to those who participated in the games,” she said.

He also emphasized the importance of bringing science into public spaces. “It is extremely important to promote curiosity in children, regardless of whether they want to pursue careers other than astronomy. Learning about science opens their minds to questioning, to seeing beyond the everyday, and to being motivated to learn. These types of activities could be the trigger for generating the next generations of scientists.”