El Salvador – Don Bosco University inaugurates "Micro Macro Observatory"

20 August 2019

(ANS - Soyapango) – On Thursday 15 August 2019, the Don Bosco University (UDB) of El Salvador inaugurated the "Micro Macro Observatory" (OMM), a center of scientific dissemination that is unique in all of Central America, especially dedicated to astronomy and natural sciences.

The OMM will allow the public to appreciate reality from two particular points of view: that of the rich complexity of the world that is imperceptible to the naked eye (micro), and that of the immensity of the universe (macro). In this way, the MMO will help people to expand their ability to perceive reality, understand their position in the world and consequently their responsibility towards "the common home".

The Micro Macro Observatory is equipped with the most powerful telescope in Central America, with a diameter of 50 cm, as well as secondary telescopes, one of which is for observing the sun. Furthermore, it is equipped with biological, stereoscopic and digital microscopes to appreciate the realities of the infinitely small. With its 700 m², the OMM will offer a unique experience of immersion into the micro- and macro-cosmos.

This innovative space was developed and created in collaboration with the German Foundation "Karlheinz Wolfgang Foundation for Health and Education" (KWS), with which the UDB has developed excellent collaborations since 2006.

During the inauguration ceremony, the Rector of the University, Salesian brother Mario Olmos, underlined that the project includes three fundamental components: the physical infrastructure of the observatory, the technological equipment and the academic-scientific aspect of a university project, which will foster new careers and professions at the service of the country and scientific dissemination at all levels.

For his part, Fr José Ángel Prado, Salesian Provincial for Central America (CAM), emphsized that with this new space the UDB wants to put into practice what the Church has emphasized over the centuries, namely that Philosophy, Science and Faith complement each other.

For the Salesians, observatories and astronomy are not bodies foreign to their mission. Among the spiritual Sons of Don Bosco who arrived in South America at the end of the nineteenth century there were professors of Philosophy, Theology and Sciences, mathematicians and empirical astronomers. In 1882 they inaugurated an observatory in Uruguay, in Argentina in 1883 and others were built in various parts of the world.

Initially the MMO will carry out dissemination activities aimed at educational institutions, but later it will open its doors to the general public: students of all educational levels, their families and the whole community.

The MMO of the UDB represents a milestone in the history of education and scientific development in El Salvador and is of particular importance for the Salesian educational mission on behalf of young people. It is a firm commitment to promoting new perspectives in education and research for the benefit of the new generations of the Central American country and region.

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