Students from Las Condes expanded their knowledge about black holes

Students at the Colegio Alemán de Santiago learned about these objects in the universe through a talk given by astronomer José Utreras.

As part of its outreach program, the Center for Astrophysics and Associated Technologies – CATA (ANID Basal Center) held a talk entitled “Do black holes exist?” at the Colegio Alemán de Santiago, in the Las Condes district. The activity was aimed at secondary school students, attracting a total of 50 participants.

The talk was given by astronomer José Utreras, Outreach Coordinator at the Center, who addressed key concepts about black holes and their relevance to understanding the universe.

“Black holes are extremely strange; they break down our understanding of space and time. They are a topic in astronomy that always attracts attention and arouses curiosity, and from there, space opens up for conversation and exploration,” he said.

Through a dynamic and engaging presentation, the astronomer sparked the students’ interest in astronomy, answering questions and creating a space for scientific dialogue in the classroom. The school’s physics teacher, Tatiana Zapata, gave the activity a positive review.

“The talk was very interesting, both students and teachers learned about black holes. The students really enjoyed it and learned a lot. They appreciated José taking the time to answer all their questions, as well as the excellent and informative visual material. It was very much in line with what we have seen about stellar evolution, ending our unit with this conclusion,” said the teacher.

The professor also highlighted the importance of our institution’s scientific outreach work, stating that “these events bring students closer to science. It will always be a valuable experience for them to be able to interact with scientists firsthand and learn about the latest advances in this field.”