Announcement

ESO Exhibition A Window to the Universe Reopened in Antofagasta

8 October 2014

On 7 October 2014, after several months of renovation work, Fernando Comerón, ESO Representative in Chile, and Paula Baltra, General Manager of Fundación Ruinas de Huanchaca reopened the exhibition A Window to the Universe. It is one of five permanent exhibitions installed at the Museum Ruinas de Huanchaca [1], in the city of Antofagasta, Chile.

The event was held in the auditorium of the museum, and was attended by several local authorities and representatives from different communities of Antofagasta.

This space, designed and donated by ESO as a contribution to the Region of Antofagasta in 2009, has been updated with new graphics, images and information about the biggest ESO projects, including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Extremely Large Telescope.

From now on, visitors will see 12 gigantic panels, as well as videos and interactive displays showing the history of the Universe. These start from the origins of the cosmos, through the creation of matter, stars and planets and end with information about the large astronomical observatories which are found in this region of the Atacama Desert, a privileged window to the Universe.

The exhibition also has a special module about light pollution, which will allow visitors to understand why fainter stars and the Milky Way are not visible from big cities.

This space is the evidence that astronomy is a key component of both the present and the future of the region. I would like to take this opportunity to invite everybody to this wonderful journey, back in time to the beginning of the Universe,” said Fernando Comerón, after the reopening ceremony.

During the afternoon, Fernando Comerón, gave a public talk to the local community titled A Window to the Universe, where the ESO Representative in Chile presented and highlighted the special content of this exhibition.

Notes

[1] The museum is built on the levelled area in front of the Huanchaca Ruins, the remains of a silver foundry from the beginning of the 19th century.

Links

Contacts

Valentina Rodríguez
Observatorio Europeo Austral
Santiago, Chile
Tel: +56 2 2463 3123
Email: eson-chile@eso.org

About the Announcement

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Images

Reopening ceremony for ESO exhibition a window to the Universe
Reopening ceremony for ESO exhibition a window to the Universe