ULS hosts the inter-American meeting on Cultural Astronomy

astronomy1

The meeting entitled “Sky, Astronomy and Cultural Heritage”, organized by the Inter-American Society of Astronomy in Culture and the University of La Serena, is held for the first time in Chile and considers the realization of a School of Cultural Astronomy and presentations of the presentations of researchers in the area.

Thinking about the conceptions that men from various cultures have been forging about the sky, within the framework of all their ways of knowing and acting in the world, is what has currently been defined as Cultural Astronomy. It is a multidisciplinary work area, where different specialists such as astronomers, historians, sociologists, anthropologists, etc., develop research on the worldview of various cultures through astronomies.

astronomy2With the aim of expanding this type of research, the Inter-American Society of Astronomy in Culture and the University of La Serena hold the meeting “Sky, Astronomy and Cultural Heritage”, which consists of 2 activities: the VIII School of Cultural Astronomy and the VII Inter-American Conference on Astronomy in Culture, which has been held since 2012.

The ULS astronomer, Dr. Rodolfo Angeloni, explained that “it is the first time that this meeting takes place in Chile and we have the opportunity to have it here at the University of La Serena. During the meeting, 2 activities will be carried out, one is a School from Monday, September 30 to Wednesday, October 02, divided into a basic level course and another at an advanced level, which seeks to provide the tools to students and people. who approach this discipline. And from Wednesday the 02nd to Friday the 04th there will be presentations of papers by researchers who work in the area and who will present their latest results.”

The Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of La Serena, Dr. Amelia Ramírez, expressed that it is important that the University hosts this meeting where “Cultural Astronomy shows astronomy as a cultural heritage. Having this type of multidisciplinary activities, where experts from various areas meet, allows these global visions to finally begin to channel an idea of ​​how astronomy makes man grow, carrying out different types of manifestations."

astronomy3For his part, the president of the Inter-American Society of Astronomy in Culture, Dr. Alejandro López, explained: “it seems to us that holding this meeting at the University of La Serena is important mainly because of the work that the university has done in astronomy, along with the quality of astronomical work done in the region. This made us think that it was very opportune to bring the event and generate an opportunity to train different experts in what Cultural Astronomy is.”

This activity has the participation of exhibitors and the public from Chile and abroad dedicated to different areas of knowledge, who see in this meeting a space for learning about cultural differences, through the exchange of different visions and thoughts.

Regarding this, Josefa Andrade, Design student at the Diego Portales University and attendee at the event, indicated: “I think it is very positive that a University generates this type of spaces where you can share with people from different places on the continent, diverse cultural visions through astronomy.”

The inter-American meeting takes place between September 30 and October 4 in the Pentagon Room of the Andrés Bello Campus of the University of La Serena.

Written by Tomás Rodríguez, DirCom