Where the development of astronomy in Chile is headed

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – It is undeniable that Chile has privileged skies to watch space. The high number of astronomical phenomena, such as the latest eclipses that have amazed tourists and experts, are proof of this. Dr. Cristian Quinzacara, theoretical physicist and academic of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the University of San Sebastian, together with the National Prize of Exact Sciences, José Maza, and other experts, analyze the outlook for this developing industry in the country.

The eclipse started around three in the morning and lasted only two minutes at its peak, but the partial lunar eclipse that could be seen in large parts of Chile on November 19 became a unique event for those who resisted sleep until the wee hours of the night.

Read also: Check out our coverage on Chile

However, any Chilean in the last three years has likely been able to enjoy this phenomenon, given that since 2019, Chile has had the privilege of being located in an area of the planet where it has been possible to observe a series of solar and lunar eclipses, meteor showers and other situations that attract the attention of the international community.

Although the history of astronomy in the country is 169 years old, with the creation of the National Astronomical Observatory in 1852, in the Santa Lucía hill and later moved to the Calán hill, in Santiago, it is during the last 25 years that it has gained relevance, both for citizens and the international scientific community.

Ph.D. in Astrophysics and winner of the 1999 National Exact Sciences Award, José Maza, says that  “since 2000, astronomy has taken off notably, because a fairly solid group has grown in universities in Santiago, Concepción, Antofagasta, and Valparaíso. Astronomy is flourishing,” assumes the academic for a phenomenon that is becoming more and more popular.

Turning to the more technical aspect, the conditions found in the territory are fortunate for implementing international projects. Dr. Cristian Quinzacara, with works in theoretical physics of gravitation, explains that “the conditions for astronomical observations that exist in the north of the country are positioning Chile to become a power in this branch of science.”

The climatic conditions of low humidity and clear skies for most of the year make it possible to see the stars and planets on the other side of the atmosphere in a more stable manner. In addition, winds without much turbulence and a relatively high coastal mountain range, with an arid climate, make these regions a place that can only be compared to the conditions of Hawaii, according to the vision of the astronomer of the University of Chile, César Fuentes.

The Chilean sky as a resource would be nothing without the institutional stability that Chile has given to allow agencies from the United States, Europe, and Japan to be installed, together with the knowledge and services infrastructure that has allowed the construction of the mega telescopes in the north.

This has not only translated into international organizations working with data collected in Chile but also, thanks to the local regulatory framework, national scientists have access to an exclusive observation time of 10 percent.

The Atacama Desert, the driest region on the planet and with the characteristics above, has welcomed, since 2019, 40 percent of the world’s large optical and infrared telescopes, in an area of 2,000 square kilometers, three times more than the city of Santiago.

In 2030 the area will grow even more, given that three of the four largest telescopes in the world that are under construction chose the Atacama, among them the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), promoted by NASA, Google, and regional research centers; the European Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT); and the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). At the same time, it is expected to have a National Satellite System in orbit, with eight satellites manufactured in the country, in addition to the future support of the SpaceX project of magnate Elon Musk.

Astronomy and astrophysics professionals have also grown in the face of more excellent scientific-technological development. In its last census, the Chilean Astronomy Society reported that 276 professional astronomers are working in the country (in 2005, there were only 40).

Most of the interviewees share a niche for flourishing an industry linked to astronomy shortly. The human capital is dedicated to stargazing and uses its logical reasoning to participate in global challenges.

“Astronomical training is important as a way of thinking, of doing science, of looking at difficulties, which can contribute to solving the problems of humanity and the planet,” says Fuentes, who is part of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA).

Meanwhile, Dr. José Maza says that “I see myself reflected in the new generations, seeing that there is a huge number of young people who are starting, who have a remarkable preparation and that, therefore, it can be said that at this minute Chilean astronomy is in excellent hands in terms of the number of people who practice it.”

Dr. Cristian Quinzacara, meanwhile, argues that “astronomy in the country has generated a whole development that attracts an investment that is not only in people scientifically prepared in data science and other related areas. In recent years, the massive creation of startups in Chile has attracted millions of dollars in investment, a panorama that could be promising for local astronomy.”

Thus, the USS academic envisions the emergence of technological ventures that try to take this spatial information and turn it into data for the national (or international) industry, which could be extrapolated to vital areas of the economy, such as agriculture or mining.

This view is shared by Demián Arancibia, head of Future Advisors at the Ministry of Science and Technology. The knowledge systems engineer says that “Chile has become an extraordinary place to develop in the discipline in the last ten years.”

Since 2010, with the creation of the Astronomy program in the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT), an institution within the Ministry, a forum was promoted in which Chile marks its strategy as a country with respect to global astronomy.

In 2014 it had its first results, and with the appearance of the portfolio, the program has been expanded, as an advisory committee was announced, convening not only astronomers but also experts in data, artificial intelligence, engineering, instrumentation, and high-energy physics.”

“We feel that the positive impact on the scientific field of astronomy is quite well achieved, but we have a pending task to translate these benefits for the development of the country,” emphasizes Arancibia, who adds that the path is related to two areas, in particular, that would allow local knowledge to produce technology to compete and actively participate in the global space race.

Arancibia refers to astroengineering (telescope engineering) and astroinformatics (combination of data science and space science), the latter being strongly linked to the cloud industry, which has become of interest thanks to projects of international giants such as Amazon, which recently announced the installation of eight satellite ground stations, also known as AWS Ground Station, which allow a more efficient connection for sending and receiving data. This is in addition to the arrival of different data centers by Google and Huawei.

José Maza qualifies as “remarkable” to see that Chile is already beginning to take essential steps in this line: “There are people prepared in this field to study space, to be in space, and to study the sky or the ground because satellites can look down or up. It is a huge step that will allow us to prepare even more people for Chile to develop technologically.”

That investment allows glimpses of efforts to go in the direction that, mixed with the inclusion of Chilean astronomers in the megaprojects and the motivation of startups, can find solutions with international space associations, shaping the new Chilean space era.