ALMA Observatory participates in traveling science fair for schools
6 August, 2014 / Read time: 2 minutes
The ALMA Observatory has placed at the disposal of Explora’s Magic of Science Caravan, a traveling exhibit meant to acquaint the general public with the world’s largest radio telescope. At these fairs, students show the research work they have carried out during the year and, at the same time, science talks are held and stands are set up by the various institutions who regularly support the Explora-CONICYT programs.
The travelling exhibition, “ALMA – In Search of Our Cosmic Origins”, will allow students from the Metropolitan Region of Chile to discover the main features and wonders of the largest radio telescope in the world. The exhibition will explain, among other issues, why the mountain range of the Atacama Desert, specifically the Chajnantor Plateau at an altitude of 5.000 meters, was chosen as the site to build the ALMA Observatory; it shows how this radio-telescope operates and also features some of the discoveries achieved during its first observing runs, which took place even before construction had finalized.
Credit: Explora
"The idea is to maximize not only the link between schools, but also between the school community and institutions that are doing science in this country, such as ALMA, who makes its activities known, as well as finding strategies to take these concepts into the classroom,”, said Macarena Ocariz, Executive Coordinator of PAR, South-East Metropolitan Region.
The Magic of Science Caravan will go through 13 boroughs within the Metropolitan Region, from August to October. If you would like to know whether it will pass by your neighborhood, take a look at the following map:
Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Teachers who wish their schools to take part in these scientific fairs, may contact the following email: [email protected]
More Information
ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
Contact:
Valeria Foncea
Education and Public Outreach Officer
Joint ALMA Observatory
Santiago, Chile
Tel: +56 2 467 6258
Cell: +56 9 75871963
Email: [email protected]
