Visit to MAST includes sky observation and immersive video about science

22/5/2025

From immersive space to the real sky, an experience outside the classroom took IMPA Tech undergraduates on a journey through time and the cosmos. After classes on Wednesday (21), undergraduate students visited the MAST (Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences) in São Cristóvão. The external activity was promoted by the NAP (Psychopedagogical Support Center) and guided by the museum’s educators.

Upon arriving at MAST, in an immersive room, the students watched an introductory video about the history of science and the advances made over the years. With projections of stars and galaxies all around, visitors experienced a feeling of being in space, while learning about astronomical discoveries, ways of measuring time and great scientific expeditions.

“Just like the universe, science is constantly expanding. We rely on the curiosity of people like you to keep knowledge going,” said an excerpt from the video, arousing the interest and imagination of visitors.

The young people were then introduced to MAST’s mission: to broaden society’s access to scientific and technological knowledge. They also learned about some of the lines of research and projects under development at the institution, which, like IMPA, is a research unit linked to the MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation).

The visit inside the building was marked by a lot of enthusiasm and curiosity. The undergraduates explored rooms dedicated to topics such as Astronomy, Geophysics, Chemistry, Navigation, Cosmography and Time Markers, among others, discovering historical instruments and learning about the development of the sciences over the centuries.

At dusk, the most eagerly awaited moment arrived: observing the sky. The star cluster NGC 4755, known as the ‘jewel box’, was chosen for the observation and delighted the students.

“It was really cool! I found the place incredible, much bigger than I imagined, and with telescopes infinitely better than I thought,” said student Anderson Aquiles, who suggested the visit to the NAP.

“I like theoretical physics with high-level mathematics. The area I’m most interested in is Cosmology and General Relativity, which I’ve been studying for a while. I really wanted to be able to see this observational part of astronomy up close, so I came up with this idea,” he said.

Student Marcos Abílio highlighted the importance of practical experiences for interdisciplinary scientific training. “It’s important for us to have another view, both of applied knowledge and also to get out of the routine and see something practical that we can contribute to society in the future,” he said. The student is an OBA (Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympics) gold medalist, but had never visited an institution like MAST.

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