20/05/2024

IMPA Tech students take a guided tour of PlanetáRio.

IMPA Tech students, accompanied by IMPA's Director-General, Marcelo Viana, took a guided tour of PlanetáRio (Planetarium Foundation of the City of Rio de Janeiro) on Saturday (18). The space houses the Carl Sagan dome, the largest in Latin America, where the university students had an immersive experience observing the sky. With audiovisual sessions and projections on the ceiling, it was possible to identify constellations and their stars.

Located in Gávea, the Rio Planetarium also houses the Museum of the Universe, a space with various interactive experiments and exhibitions, such as the School Ship, where it was possible to learn interesting facts about the formation of the universe and the planets of the Milky Way, such as Planet Earth.

Viana explained that the visit marked the beginning of a series of complementary activities that will be worked on during the undergraduate program. “At IMPA Tech, we want to provide our students with a broad and comprehensive education, going far beyond mathematics and pragmatic content. A visit like this is part of that complementary education, and will certainly be followed by other activities, so that, at the end of their undergraduate studies, these young people will have a complete and in-depth civic education,” he stated.

The field trip also marked the first activity of the partnership established between IMPA and PlanetáRio. “It’s a very good initiative for both institutions because through cooperation we can enable new opportunities and interactive applications. I believe the students enjoyed it, especially because we have people from all over the country gathered in the largest planetarium in Latin America,” said Renan Uccelli, president of the Foundation.

The students were able to observe in practice some concepts that are also covered in undergraduate studies, as shared by Gileade Coimbra, from Belo Horizonte (MG). “The experience was fantastic, I learned a lot of things! It's very interesting how astronomy is a transdisciplinary area of knowledge. We saw physics concepts here that we are working on in Introduction to Laboratory classes, and topics that are related to our Linguistic Skills work. The visit brought concepts and thought-provoking ideas that will enhance my training.”

Gabrielly Rocha, from São José dos Campos (SP), was already interested in astronomy and astronautics before the visit, but was surprised by the experience. “I’ve been studying astronomy intensely for some time, and even so, I was surprised by some interesting facts. I think science outreach visits like this are very important because, even if they don’t provide all the information, they spark curiosity and encourage you to seek it out. And that’s what we need in academia: the will, hope, and confidence to learn,” she stated.

Bianca Moreno, from Fortaleza (CE), didn't have much of an affinity for the area, but found the experience enriching. “The tour was a lot of fun! It was interesting to learn more about the universe. I think all kinds of knowledge are good! Learning about new areas, even if it's not the one I want to work in in the future, adds to our education,” said the student.