...

Fundación Cielos de Chile participated as an invited institution at the ESO-ALMA Open Day 2026, held as part of Astronomy Day, an event that opened the ESO-ALMA offices in Vitacura to the community with the goal of bringing astronomy closer to people of all ages.

On Friday, March 20, Fundación Cielos de Chile took part as one of the invited institutions at the ESO-ALMA Open Day 2026, celebrated in the framework of Astronomy Day. The event, which addressed topics such as light pollution and dark sky protection, is one of the most significant annual opportunities to bring astronomical knowledge to the general public.

From the start of the day, the facilities welcomed students from public schools across several communes of the Metropolitan Region. From 16:00 onwards, the doors opened to the general public with free activities including telescope-building workshops, a guided visit to the ALMA control room, a meteorite exhibition, and astronomy talks, among many others. Throughout the day, more than 600 people explored the facilities to learn about the progress and care of Chile’s astronomical heritage.

Light pollution knowledge for all ages

Fundación Cielos de Chile participated with a stand where families and students could learn about light pollution and the importance of protecting dark skies as a natural, scientific and cultural heritage. “For us, participating in these events is very important because we can work with all the families and people who approach us on raising awareness about light pollution,” explained Sofía Ramírez, Environmental Education Officer at the Foundation. “It is a problem that undoubtedly affects astronomical observation, but it also has other impacts, such as on biodiversity and human health. In these events, we can bring this sense of importance to people and help them understand how relevant Chile is in global astronomical observation,” she added.

“Being able to participate through a stand and a talk is very important, as it allows us to connect with people through conversation and explanation,” the professional continued. How is this achieved? The stand experience is designed to be engaging and playful: through a classic tic-tac-toe game, visitors learn about sources of light pollution. Another game introduces the migratory journey of storm petrels and how light pollution creates obstacles along their path. The content is presented in a concrete and accessible way, reaching people of all ages, helping them understand how light pollution is generated and what actions individuals and communities can take to reduce it and protect this globally unique heritage, essential for scientific and technological development.

Citizen action

In addition to the stand, the Foundation participated in the short talks programme with a presentation also delivered by Sofía Ramírez. The talk focused on how to use the Glowatch platform, which enables citizens to report sources of light pollution through citizen science.

For the Foundation, participating in this event is also an opportunity to remind families that the dark skies that make all this science possible require active protection, and that this is a shared responsibility.