Eight professional experts in astronomy raised important points about the importance of respecting the sky as a world heritage site.

The sky of the Coquimbo Region is recognized as one of the cleanest in the world and, therefore, one of the most suitable for astronomical observation. In this way, the Gemini South Observatory, the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena and the entire organization of “Journey to the Universe”, gave life to the “Technical Scientific Panel: Importance of sky quality in astronomical science”, in which professionals, including two ULS researchers, addressed the main implications and privileges of the sky, in addition to informing and raising awareness among attendees about its progressive damage through light pollution and the lack of education regarding to the topic.

Starting the Panel, the coordinator of the ULS Astronomy Group, Dr. Rodolfo Barbá, gave some practical examples to understand the relevance of the observation and explained the importance of having a clean and dark sky to investigate, with the aim of discovering the origins of the Universe . 

For his part, the speaker Juan Pablo Madrid, a professional from the Gemini Observatory as part of the scientific team, expressed his pleasure at carrying out an activity open to the community for free. “I find it very interesting to have shared our experience with the members of the community and that they are aware of the importance of having a sky without light pollution and what I would like is for the message to reach a larger group of people, such as involving to children,” highlighted the PhD in Astrophysics.

Alfonso Casanova, who attended this scientific panel, highlighted the great experience of his speakers regarding the topics addressed. “The topic of astronomy is something magical and I find that it is very cultural and relevant to today's times. This panel forum where there is a group of mentors, of 'gurus' with extraordinary knowledge, have transmitted all their experience to those of us who were there and I am very happy, because in some way we can transmit a message to the children, to the new generations. , that there is a lot of trouble to be done to have a Universe that we can see, enjoy it in 10 and 20 more years. And a call to the political class to stop the issue of light pollution, in some way, from the point of view of regulatory frameworks and environmental regulations,” commented Casanova.

A journey to consciousness 

Under this regulatory point, Erich Wenderoth, Scientific Operations specialist at the Gemini South Observatory, also gave his opinion on this, making known how this situation is experienced in other countries around the world. “We have to try to sow it in children in such a way that in the end we can have awareness and have an educational level like we have in Finland, in Germany, in Switzerland, in developed countries, where the awareness of good is born with children from a young age. ”, he highlighted.

This Technical Scientific Panel had the participation of professional experts in astronomy, among whom were: Erich Wenderoth, Master in Physics from the ULS with a specialty in Extragalactic Astrophysics and member of the Scientific Operations group of the Gemini South Observatory, Pedro Sanhueza, director of the Office for the Protection of Sky Quality in Northern Chile-OPCC- AURA, CARSO and ESSO Observatories, Nidia Morrell, astronomer at the Las Campanas Observatory, Juan Madrid, PhD in Astrophysics and member of the Gemini Observatory science group, René Ruten, astronomer and person in charge of the scientific operation of the Gemini-Sur telescope, Rodolfo Barba, astronomer and coordinator of the Astronomy Group in the Department of Physics of the ULS, Sergio Torres, astronomer and research academic of the Department of Physics ULS, and by lastly, Malcolm Smith, astronomer at the Tololo Observatory, former director of Observatories International and former member of the Steering Committee of the International Dark Sky Association. In addition, this activity was sponsored by the Municipality of La Serena, SERNATUR Coquimbo Region and the Northern Chile Sky Quality Protection Office OPCC.

Conferences and photographic exhibition

It is worth mentioning that the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena continues with a series of conferences on astronomy and the exhibition “Alaxpacha Jayri: Our night sky” in the ULS Exhibition Hall, at Benavente 950. For inquiries from the activities, you only have to go to their offices at Prat Street 446 or call 2204171 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Source: Press Extension Directorate

The initiative will bring astronomy closer to schoolchildren in the region, through workshops, conferences and visits to observatories.

With a ceremony that brought together the organizers and collaborators of the activity, the official programming of “Journey to the Universe 2014” was inaugurated, an event where there was also recognition of the schools that have participated since the beginning of the activity organized by the Observatory. Gemini South. The program for this year includes a varied program where schoolchildren in the region will be able to receive astronomers, engineers and professionals related to astronomy in their schools, to participate in talks, workshops, scientific discussion panels and, as a novelty for this year , you can also visit the region's observatories.

In its fourth version, “Journey to the Universe” began its activities with the official inauguration held at the Central House of the University of La Serena. The event was attended by university authorities, led by the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, the mayor of La Serena, Roberto Jacob, and the representative of Sernatur Region of Coquimbo, Pamela Duarte, among other regional authorities.

The “Journey to the Universe” activities will take place in the different educational establishments in the region and nearby observatories until Friday, October 24, and have the active participation of the ULS Physics Department, with the research astronomers of the Astronomy Group ( GAULS), and the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena. 

In this regard, the Rector of the house of higher education, highlighted that "this activity denotes the commitment that the University of La Serena has with its region in a topic as important as astronomy and, more than all, an astronomy that wants to reach the children and all people who are interested in understanding this science, I believe that this alliance with the Municipality, with Sernatur, led by Gemini and with our support, leaves us very satisfied; We want to continue strengthening teaching and the transmission of knowledge through this alliance and we hope as a University to continue supporting it, we are proud to be able to participate in this work,” stated the DR. Nibaldo Aviles. 

The organizer, for 4 years now, is the Gemini South Observatory, who through its director, Nancy Levenson, expressed the importance of generating this type of activities. “This is the fourth year that this program offers a full week of activities throughout the region to stimulate astronomy and share its beauty with our community. "It is an important reflection of the Gemini Observatory's purpose statement, 'Exploring the universe, sharing its wonders.'"

On the occasion, the director of Gemini Sur, the Rector of the University of La Serena, the mayor of La Serena and the representative of Sernatur, presented recognition to the teachers and the schools San José, Christ School, Germán Riesco, San Joaquín, Cardenal Caro de Coquimbo, Español de Coquimbo, Form-Arte and Saint Mary School, establishments that have always supported Gemini initiatives, which have not only been supported by their directors, but have known how to motivate their respective students in The science. 

First activities in schools 

Throughout this week, various activities will be carried out in the already coordinated schools, among them are various conferences that will be given by professionals from the University of La Serena.

The one who started these talks was Dr. Amelia Ramírez, with “How different is our Milky Way galaxy from other galaxies?”, presented at the Germán Riesco school, where the students were impressed and interested in the different galaxies and the Various ways of looking at the sky. 

“I talked about how different our galaxy is from other galaxies, in reality with that I allowed them to know the classification of galaxies and then identify what our galaxy is like within that countless number of galaxies that there are, but that we have been able to classify. throughout the time of astronomy,” commented Ramírez.  

Source: Press Extension Direction

The first program will have Professor Oriana Mondaca Rivera as a guest, who will provide details of her book "Religious sentiment and biblical allusions in the work of Gabriela Mistral.

This Sunday, October 26, at noon, the first program of the “Sonidos Mistralianos” cycle will be broadcast on Radio Universitaria FM, a new space hosted by musician Raúl “Talo” Pinto, intended to highlight the work of our Nobel Prize in Literature, Gabriela Mistral, through interviews with researchers and the dissemination of melodies created around the poet and her legacy.

This new cycle of programs is part of the project “Mistralian Sounds: compositions that rescue the legacy of our Nobel Prize in Literature”, financed by the Media Fund 2014, of the Ministry of the General Secretariat of Government. The initiative of the station of the University of La Serena, dependent on the Directorate of Protocol and Communications, contemplates the realization of six programs around the figure of Gabriela Mistral, allowing citizens to bring closer the expression of the intellectual values ​​that gave meaning to the life and work of the poet. 

In addition, the “Mistralian Sounds” series will be distributed to more than 70 educational establishments in La Serena and Coquimbo.

first program

The first program will have as a guest Professor Oriana Mondaca Rivera, researcher and disseminator of the work of the Nobel Prize winner in Literature, who will provide details of her book "Religious sentiment and biblical allusions in the work of Gabriela Mistral.

The activity aims to bring the community of the Coquimbo Region closer to the idiosyncrasy and historical culture of the city of bell towers.

“La Serena in the 27th century. “Its local history, sociocultural facts and traditional chronicles” is the title of the conference that the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena together with Mg. Hugo Marín Varela, professor of History, Geography and Civics, will present at the Extension Center this Monday, October XNUMX.

The talk is part of the “Opening horizons” conference cycle of the School for the Elderly, and seeks to reveal the main historical milestones that encompass the second oldest city in Chile, through its founding and subsequent refoundation under the name of “San Bartolomé de La Serena” and its most emblematic characters. 

Its rapporteur, Mg. Hugo Marín Varela, announced that he will present sociocultural background "with everything that really happened and I am going to complement it with legendary events, since in history real events are always mixed with legends (...). This area is full of legends, historical presence of the Inca people in the Chilean regions of Coquimbo and Atacama, Spanish presence in the Elqui River, Santa Gracia and foundation of towns and cities, Valle La Serena town, founded where the Compañía Baja is by Juan Bohón , the death of Valdivia in 1553. In the year 1593 the Jesuits arrived and García Hurtado de Mendoza, Alonso de Ercilla, La Araucana and the protagonism of the Araucanian people arrived,” the academic explained.

The activity is free entry and will take place at 17:00 p.m. at the ULS Extension Center. For more information about this academic conference, those interested can contact Prat 446, La Serena, call 2204171 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Source: Press Extension Direction 

Attendees will learn techniques on how to check parts of their mouth, be able to identify and detect if there is something worrying in it and know when to consult.

With the objective of informing and raising awareness in the community of the Coquimbo Region about the importance of self-examination in the oral cavity and its main pathologies, the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena in conjunction with the Dentistry career of the house of higher education, will give this Tuesday, October 28, the conference: “How to prevent oral cancer and know when to consult in time”, which will be directed by Javier Quilodrán Bazán, ULS academic, dental surgeon and Mg. in Pedagogy applied to Higher Education.

Through this talk, the academic seeks to provide attendees with the necessary tools about this type of cancer - still unknown to many - and so that they know what to do when faced with a disease like this. “The topic of oral cancer is an area that is not very developed in the area and there is little knowledge on the part of the population related to what are the most complex pathologies that can occur in the oral cavity. Many people are unaware that cancer can occur on the tongue, lips or part of the oral cavity. The idea is to be able to give the public some tools related to self-examination, so that they can diagnose in time or notice things that may be strange in their mouth and can consult,” Javier Quilodrán clarified.

For the professional, detecting this disease in time and determining a timely diagnosis of the lesions in the oral cavity is essential. However, he adds that many people who suffer from this type of cancer do not know that they have it and that many of their habits influence the spread of this carcinoma in the oral area. "In relation to the habits that can generate malignant lesions in the mouth, there is the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, which are habits that are deeply rooted in the population - especially in fairly young people - and as they are so irritating to the mucous membranes. from our mouth, can cause cancer-producing agents to begin to produce changes at the cell level and those cells can transform into potentially malignant cells. So the idea is for the patient to relate these habits, which although we see them as something super common, there is no knowledge related to the damage they can generate,” determined the academic.

For those who wish to inform themselves and learn about the health of their mouth and prevent future damage in this area, they can attend this conference, which is free of charge and will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the facilities of the University Extension Center. from La Serena, located at 446 Prat Street, in La Serena. For more information, go to this address or contact 2204171 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Source: Press Extension Direction

The inauguration will be in front of the Central House of the University of La Serena.

From October 20 to 24, a new version of “Journey to the Universe 2014” will be held, an activity organized by the Gemini Observatory and which has the collaboration and commitment of the University of La Serena, through its Extension Directorate. and the Department of Physics, with its research astronomers from the Astronomy Group (GAULS). 

The activities that make up the program for this year are varied, where, as in previous versions, schoolchildren in the region will be able to receive astronomers, engineers and professionals related to astronomy in their schools, to participate in entertaining, educational talks. workshops, scientific discussion panels and, as a novelty for this year, they will also have the opportunity to visit the observatories and their facilities and participate in various activities there. 

In this regard, María Antonieta García, in charge of communications and extension of Gemini Sur, indicated that the initiative started 5 years ago, “is an offer to the community in order to bring science closer to everyone, not only astronomical science, But we want people to lose the fear that science is difficult, that we are not going to understand everything that astronomers talk about, and also, if we are the star region and we have this privileged sky, let us take advantage in some way and Let's see what it offers," he emphasized.

The activities are aimed at schools in the region, however, some of them are open to the community for all those interested in participating. More information can be obtained by email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 2204333. 

The program of activities 

The university institution will participate in the inauguration of this version of Journey to the Universe, which will take place this Monday, October 20, at 11:30 a.m., in the front of the Central House (Andrés Bello Campus), where various authorities will participate, including the director of Gemini, Dr. Nancy Levenson, the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, the mayor of La Serena, Roberto Jacob, among other personalities.

Activities begin July 20 and they include a workshop and three talks at the Germán Riesco School, where the ULS astronomer, Amelia Ramírez, will give the conference: How different is our Milky Way from the other galaxies? Subsequently, there will be an activity with kindergartens at the Biblioteca Viva in La Serena, and a Galileoscope assembly workshop. 

El July 21, the activities are transferred to the San Joaquín School, where one of the talks will be given by the ULS astronomer, Dr. Julia Arias, which is entitled: “A star is born”. Continuing with the program, the Technical Scientific Panel will be held: "Importance of the quality of the sky in astronomical science", the same Tuesday at 18:30 p.m. in the ULS Exhibition Hall, with free entry. The panelists are Pedro Sanhueza (OPCC), Nidia Morrell (LCO), Juan Madrid, Rodolfo Angeloni and René Rutten (Gemini), Rodolfo Barba and Sergio Torres (ULS), and Malcolm Smith (CTIO). At the same time, the Alaxpacha Jayri photography exhibition “Our Night Sky” will be on display. 

El miércoles 22 There will be a visit by students from some educational establishments to the Las Campanas Observatory and its facilities, in addition to talks by the observatory's professionals. During the afternoon the activities will be transferred to the Form-Arte school.

El 23 ThursdayIn the morning, the astronomers will visit the Los Carrera School in Coquimbo, and in the afternoon, there will be a visit to Alfa Aldea, in Vicuña, where, in addition to other activities, the painting contest at the Leonardo Da Vinci school in that city will be awarded. commune and a talk by ULS astronomer, Héctor Cuevas, titled “The Universe beyond the galaxies” will be given. 

Finally, the viernes 24 Visits will be carried out to the facilities of the CTIO (Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory) and SOAR and Gemini Sur observatories, culminating with this a varied range of activities related to astronomy.

This programming is sponsored by the Municipality of La Serena, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (CTIO), Las Campanas Observatory (LCO), Northern Chile Sky Quality Protection Office (OPCC), Sernatur Region of Coquimbo, Alfa Village, Cerro Mayu Observatory and San Joaquín School.

Source: Press Extension Direction