Fourth graders learned what would happen if the Moon did not exist

Through a presentation given by astronomer Tracy Catalán, children at the Leonardo Da Vinci School learned what would happen to our planet without the presence of our natural satellite.

The Center for Astrophysics and Associated Technologies – CATA (ANID Basal Center) visited the Leonardo Da Vinci School in the Cerro Navia district to give a talk entitled “What if the Moon had never existed?” to fourth-year elementary school students.

The presentation was given by Tracy Catalán, outreach analyst at CATA, who explained in an educational and accessible way the hypothetical case of what would happen if our natural satellite had never existed and its phenomena on Earth.

The astronomer highlighted the children’s reception, noting that “from the beginning, they were very attentive and curious, asking very interesting questions. It’s a topic that grabs their attention because the Moon is part of our lives, and without it, our world would be very different,” said Tracy Catalán.

The school was delighted with the astronomer’s visit and the opportunity to talk about astronomy: “We greatly appreciate Tracy’s willingness and commitment to providing an interesting and entertaining experience for the students, who enjoyed the talk throughout,” said Piera Lizama, the school’s natural sciences teacher.

The teacher also highlighted our Center’s approach, emphasizing the importance of science and scientific vocations: “This initiative is highly valuable, as it brings students closer to the field of physics from an astronomer’s point of view, generating greater interest and motivation to understand the processes and/or phenomena of the environment.”