NightSchool: Astronomy in Chile

Chile isn’t called the astronomy capital of the world for nothing: During a NightSchool event highlighting the Academy’s newest planetarium show, Big Astronomy, learn about Chile’s long history of astronomical discovery, its epic mountain observatories, and the diverse collaboration of scientists working there to help us understand the true expanse of the cosmos.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Hear from Luis Chavarría, Head of Astronomy at Chile’s National Agency for Research and Development, about how the country earned its stellar reputation for astronomy—from its native cosmology to the observatories in-use and under construction today. (Extra credit: Have 1 peppercorn and 1 sesame seed/grain of quinoa on-hand for an interactive experiment!)
   
• Go behind-the-scenes of Big Astronomy with Ryan Wyatt, Molly Michelson, and Matt Blackwell, members of the Morrison Planetarium team who traveled to Chile to bring the stories of its people, places, and discoveries to the dome by capturing spectacular time-lapses and illuminating interviews.
   
• Learn about some of the coolest astronomical discoveries in which telescopes in Chile played an important role, from the accelerating expansion of the Universe to the presence of phosphine in Venus, with Javiera Rey. As an astronomer and co-founder of the blog and YouTube channel Star Tres, she’ll also talk about current Chilean astronomy outreach efforts.

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PAST VIRTUAL NIGHTLIFE EVENTS

Missed the party? Just want to relive the magic? Watch the recorded livestreams on YouTube!