By INS Contributors

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Nearly 200 students participated in a unique program introducing them to the science of astronomy, particularly in the advances Chile is making in the field and inculcating an interest in the field in their young minds.

The students from SMK Sinar Bintang, SMK Datok Lokman, SK Convent 1 Bukit Nanas and SK Sentul 2 and their teachers as well as undergraduates from the University of Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), were hosted by Chilean Ambassador to Malaysia Jaime Muñoz Sandoval at the National Planetarium along with the planetarium's director Mohd Zamri Shah Mastor.

Other guests included Ambassador of Mexico Luis Javier Campuzano, Ambassador of Argentina Marta Laura Gabrieloni, Ambassador of Cuba Yadira Ledezma and the Uruguay Chargé d'Affaires Mariela Machado and Chargé d'Affaires  of Colombia Juan Carlos Moreno, who sat through a screening of the documentary "Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries".

Designed especially for planetariums, the film aims to spark and promote interest in science, astronomy, and international collaboration amongst young audiences, while also providing educators with inspiring tools to support their teaching.

In his remarks at the program, Ambassador Sandoval said Chile is known as the astronomy capital of the world, as more than half of the planet’s astronomical capacity is concentrated there. 

"Due to the incredible telescopes that are located in the north of Chile, it is often said that is the world’s eyes to the universe, which renowned researchers are using to observe and answer the questions of the future," he said, adding that it is crucial to students, who will form the next generation of scientists, to the advanced work being done on the field in Chile.

"We believe that hosting a special screening of this documentary at the National Planetarium for students and teachers it is an excellent opportunity to promote astronomical knowledge and, at the same time, strengthen the bonds of cooperation between our two countries in the fields of education and science," he added.

Meanwhile Dr. Patricia Tissera, Director and Principal Investigator of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA) said in a video message to participants that the knowledge gained by researchers was not meant to kept for themselves but shared with wider society, both to help the wider public appreciate the world beyond the stars and inspire them to keep scientific research at the forefront for the betterment of mankind.

"Astronomy in Chile is also about technology and people, researchers, have students who work everyday to resolve complex problems the knowledge they generate and the methodology they get can also be transferred to society to solve problems from other fields like communications and health. This is why I encourage you to keep your curiosity alive, to ask questions and to keep supporting science because this is the only way we are going to make a better future for all of us," she explained.

"Thanks to all these facilities and the clear skies in Chile, these amazing results have changed our knowledge of the universe but these results and knowledge are not only for astronomers but also inspires society, to motivates you and generations of scientists and develop new technologies," she said.

The full documentary can be viewed here.