The chosen place has the purpose of giving greater coverage to the general public and inviting the whole family to this great activity.

AstroDay Chile in its 8th version will open its doors to the community in the Plaza de Armas of La Serena, next Saturday, March 15 at 17 p.m. Simultaneously, at the Extension Center of the University of La Serena, various talks will be presented, in addition to the mobile planetarium. 

AstroDay Chile is a scientific fair that is organized annually by the Gemini Observatory, in conjunction with the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena and the Illustrious Municipality of La Serena and allows the community to visit and see an exhibition with the scientific observatories for free. stationed in Chile, the tourist observatories of the Coquimbo Region and the Chilean universities that offer physics and astronomy degrees. 

This year, 22 institutions will be present, offering an information and educational space for the whole family, as well as conferences, workshops and the traditional mobile planetarium. 

Among the new features for the year, AstroDay Chile will have the international presence of North American astronomer David Yenerall, ambassador of the NASA Van Allen Probes project, who will offer a motor rocket construction and launch workshop for students from La Serena, in addition to a talk called “Scientific errors in Science fiction films”, where it will address, among others, the recently awarded film “Gravity”. Likewise, for the little ones this year there will be the presence of professor “Tuerca Loca”, who will show live a series of physics experiments that, without a doubt, will delight the entire community.

In order to encourage students to visit AstroDay Chile 2014, a delegation of scientists will be touring the Sagrados Corazones, Seminario Conciliar, San Joaquín and José Manuel Balmaceda Schools in La Serena during Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14, carrying a sample of what will be the official event on March 15 in the Plaza de Armas, which will remain open until midnight. 

Extension Center of the University of La Serena

Parallel to the development of the fair in the Plaza de Armas, presentations of the Mobile Planetarium will be held at the Extension Center of the University of La Serena from 18 to 22 p.m., along with the following talks:

18:00 Abdo Campillay, graduate in ULS physics, Las Campanas “Constellations” Observatory. 

19:00 José Luis Nilo, astronomer University of La Serena “The Yellow Universe: Springfield, the Simpsons and their Undercover Astronomy.”

20:00 Basilio Solís, astronomer,“Astronomy in Star Wars.”

21:00 David Yenerall, NASA astronomer “Scientific errors in science fiction films” (with translation).

22:00 Professor “Crazy Nut”with the theme “Science for All”. 

It is important to inform that people interested in attending both the Planetarium and the scientific talks for free must go to the Extension Center of the University of La Serena, located at Prat 446 to register in advance. The talks are designed for audiences over 10 years old and the planetarium for ages 4 and up, and places are limited to the capacity of the spaces.

The institutions present are GAULS, Astronomy Group of the Physics Department of the University of La Serena, ALMA, NASA Van Allen Probes Project, AURA with its Gemini, Cerro Tololo, SOAR and LSST observatories, Las Campanas, OPCC, Mamalluca, Cruz del South, Cerro Mayu, Pangue, Cancana, Collowara, Valle del Sol Carén, ROAN-JASE Tourist, Astronomical and Educational Observatory, Dept. Astronomy University of Chile (DAS), Astronomical Community Chilean Amateurs ALFA ALDEA Astromania, Dept. of Tourism Municipality of La Serena and USACH with its Exhibition of prints “The Universe in the South of the World, Our Celestial Heritage”.