The Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory is excited to host U-M Astronomy‘s Professor Nuria Calvet and Professor Mario Mateo for two wonderful talks on Latin American astronomers and observatories. The talks will begin at 7:00 PM and will last 1 hour in total. Afterwards, attendees will be welcome to tour the original 1854 Detroit Observatory and observe the night sky through its historic telescope.

Los Ojos sobre el Cielo: Latin American Astronomical Facilities from Ancient times to the Modern World – Professor Mario Mateo

I will provide a whirlwind tour of Latin American Astronomical Facilities that span the eras of pre-Columbian meso-American cultures, to the present time. The more ancient sites were used by ancient societies to gauge the passage of time to remarkable accuracy. More modern astronomical centers in Latin America provided some of the key insights on the immense scale of our Universe while exploring some of the many cosmic structures best studied from the Southern Hemisphere. Modern facilities continue to build on this legacy through Latin American astronomical facilities–many among the finest in the world–to carry out detailed explorations of a wide range of exotic cosmic phenomena revealed by modern astrophysical studies.

Reflections on Life Lessons with a Latina Astronomer – Professor Nuria Calvet

Many years ago, I became a physicist with a major in astronomy in Latin America. In my long career as a female astronomer in both Latin America and the U.S., I have witnessed many changes and significant growth. In my talk, I will tell you about the pioneering female astronomers in Argentina, Brasil, Mexico, Venezuela and other countries in Latin America, “las astrónomas” many of whom were my mentors and friends. I will share how they helped create strong communities in their countries where young women felt that astronomy was for everyone and believed they could do beautiful science. Today, there are so many astrónomas that it is difficult to name them all, but I will try to give you a glimpse into their successes.

Telescope observing is weather dependent. Registration is required.