With the aid of a talk and practical activities given by astronomers from the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA), students from the Liceo Cervantes were able to learn about the origin and evolution of galaxies.
How can the distance to stars be measured? This was one of several questions that, in a practical and fun way, were answered by students from the Astronomy Workshop at the Liceo Cervantes, who participated in an activity organized by the CATA.
The participants consisted of a group of students who have shown special interest in the study of science, particularly astronomy, and who are led by Professor Antonella Rojas. “I was asking the children about options for extracurricular activities and astronomy was one of the most striking. In addition, I am also a fan of the subject. So we talked and researched about these topics. We are in the process of getting a telescope and organizing some field trips. This type of activity, like the one offered by CATA, is essential to provide us with the knowledge we are after, helping to keep alive the interest in this subject. In addition, it is good that there are disseminators. Children now have a lot of access to information through social networks, with astronomy occupying an important place in this space, which helps to further people’s knowledge of the subject,” says the teacher of this traditional educational institution in the commune of Santiago.
Talk “Expansion of the universe”
The activity began with the talk “Expansion of the universe”, by the CATA Associate Astronomer Manuel Aravena. The students learned about how our current understanding of the universe has evolved over the years, appreciating that it wasn’t too long ago that we believed that the Milky Way was the entire universe, arriving at more modern models such as the Big Bang.
Thus, with interesting theories and discoveries by great researchers such as Edwin Hubble and Georges Lemaître, they understood why the universe expands, cools and forms nuclei of atoms. “Bringing astronomy closer to schoolchildren is essential to foster their scientific curiosity and develop key cognitive skills. By exploring the sky and astronomical phenomena, children not only learn about their place in the universe, but also stimulate their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Although the expansion of the universe is a very broad topic, we were able to see how, just a century ago, we came to the idea that the universe is larger than previously thought, that there were other galaxies, ours being just one among millions, and that it was expanding,” explains Manuel Aravena, Associate Researcher at CATA and Professor at the Institute of Astrophysical Studies at Diego Portales University.
The interest in astronomy was demonstrated by the students who were grateful for this type of activity. “I have always been interested in how the universe was formed, theories such as the Big Bang and the birth of stars. It all started when I was in seventh grade and they made us read some books about astronomy, where it said that when you are observing the light of stars, in a certain way, you are traveling into the past, because that light was generated many years ago, and I find that fascinating. I really like it, I enjoy learning those things. Afterwards I tell my parents and we have topics to talk about,” says Isidora Bremes, from the Third Year B of the school.
Measuring distances with strings
After the talk, the students participated in the workshop “The size of the galaxies”, with José Utreras, in charge of Content Dissemination at CATA. In this, they addressed techniques where they used such basic elements as a protractor that measures angles and a piece of straw to be able to measure the distance of the stars. A method used before modern research technology existed.
Set up in the school yard, they measured the angles of movement of the stars with respect to the translation of the earth and, applying a mathematical formula, they discovered the distance at which their symbolic star was.
“For CATA it is important to reach out with tools and activities that make astronomy more interesting for young people. It is already striking that they want to meet in groups and workshops in their schools and we must take advantage of this interest to further promote this type of knowledge. In these activities we noticed a great interest from the students, and we enhance that by bringing concepts closer, using experiments that are fun and participatory,” says José Utreras, in charge of CATA’s Outreach Content.
The Center’s astronomer also taught them to use more modern, but easy-to-access methods, such as a cell phone app, to calculate the luminosity of a star that, in this case, was a desk lamp.
“Since I was little I have enjoyed space and everything that the exact sciences mean, the stars, the planets and, in particular, I am impressed that things like black holes exist, because it is something so rare, that has been studied so little and that there was no evidence that they actually existed. This is a hobby for me for now, but I have thought a lot about studying something related to the exact sciences. And with these types of activities, one is more motivated, because one learns in an entertaining and easy way something that seems very complex,” explains Pablo Yarse, from the 4th year of Secondary School A at the Cervantes High School, another member of this workshop who hopes to continue increasing his passion for astronomy.
These types of activities are carried out regularly by CATA, and educational establishments that want to participate must contact the Communications area of the Center.
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