The observations made by the OAN, in its various facilities, have made it possible to contribute in a very important way to unraveling the secrets of the Universe: Soledad Funes.
95 years after its incorporation into the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the National Astronomical Observatory (OAN) has been a great manager and promoter of astrophysics in Mexico. Without its existence, the international prestige that Mexican astronomers have today would not exist.
Soledad Funes Argüello, coordinator of Scientific Research at UNAM, points out that the Observatory is clear proof that scientific research and the generation of knowledge are closely related to technological innovation and the creation of human resources. The human curiosity to see the sky and constantly wonder what lies beyond is an opportunity to awaken scientific vocations from a very early age.
Observations made at the OAN in its various facilities have made a significant contribution to unraveling the secrets of the universe, to understanding the energy processes that occur during the formation and evolution of stars, as well as their interaction with interstellar matter.
Funes Argüello comments that, after its foundation in 1878, its custody and administration were assigned to UNAM in 1929 and since then it has played a relevant role in the training of prestigious Mexican scientists such as Paris Pişmiş, Luis Enrique Erro, Silvia Torres Peimbert, Guillermo Haro, Gloria Koenigsberger and Arcadio Poveda.
He also mentions that the OAN has also promoted technological development in Mexico. It is common to hear professionals say that their interest in technology arose thanks to their time at the Observatory. Two notable examples are the civil engineer and former rector of the UNAM, Nabor Carrillo Flores, and the engineer José de la Herrán, who contributed significantly to the modernization and expansion of the Observatory’s facilities.
Currently, there are two headquarters of the National Astronomical Observatory: one in Tonantzintla, Puebla (OAN-Tona), where teaching and science outreach activities are carried out, and the other in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir in Baja California (OAN-SPM).
The Observatory was inaugurated in Chapultepec Castle on May 5, 1878. Its custody and administration were assigned to UNAM in 1929. Photo: IISUE / Historical Archive / COE.
Yair Emmanuel Krongold Herrera, director of the Institute of Astronomy, explains that the OAN-SPM is one of the four best sites in the world for astronomical observation due to its clear sky and its height, as well as the quality of its dark skies.
For this reason, since 2006, experts from the OAN and the UNAM Astronomy Institute have worked alongside municipal and state authorities in Baja California to prevent light pollution and protect the darkness of the night sky at the OAN-SPM. This is done in order not only to prevent, but also to combat this type of pollution generated by the populations near the Observatory.
An essential tool in this task was the promulgation in September 2006 of the Regulation for the Prevention of Light Pollution in the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California. This document, also known as the “Law of the Sky,” follows the procedures established in other major observatories around the world, such as Hawaii (United States) and the Canary Islands (Spain).
Among the plans in San Pedro Mártir is to participate in the new generation of the Event Horizon Telescope in collaboration with the United States, which will allow studying, in millimeter wavelengths , the evolution of black holes in the center of galaxies, as well as the physical conditions in their surroundings with greater precision.
Collaborations
David Hiriart García, current head of the OAN-SPM, stresses that the Observatory is located in a National Park, which allows for the absence of light pollution as well as the absence of atmospheric pollutants. This means that in addition to being a very beautiful place, it is ideal for astronomical observations.
Thanks to the arrival of new technologies, we have moved from the traditional image of the solitary astronomer looking at the sky through a telescope to automated work in collaboration with very large groups of international astronomers.
Currently, the OAN-SPM has 10 telescopes installed, several of them through global collaborations. This enables the Observatory to collaborate with the United States, Korea, Spain, Greece, Taiwan, France, China, Italy and various other countries, thanks to the interest in the excellent night sky in this area of the northern hemisphere.
Today, plans for the expansion of the NAO include the addition of the 1.3-meter diameter Colibri telescope to its main mirror, which will provide images of the optical and infrared counterpart of gamma-ray flashes, which are very intense bursts of energy that occur at the end of the lives of very massive stars.
The Colibrí telescope, already installed in San Pedro Mártir, will collaborate directly with a satellite in orbit to examine these explosions, with the aim of exploring the end of the existence of stars and understanding the physical processes involved.
The aim is also to acquire a new six-metre diameter telescope with the aim of definitively consolidating the astronomical observations carried out at the OAN-SPM. To achieve this goal, Krongold Herrera indicates that considerable resources are required, so work will continue to be done to achieve them with the premise that this equipment will increase the relevance of the OAN-SPM in the international arena.
Another plan for OAN-SPM is to participate in the next generation of the Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) in collaboration with the United States. This will allow studying, at millimetre wavelengths, the evolution of black holes at the centre of galaxies, as well as the physical conditions in their surroundings with greater precision.
Another initiative for the OAN-SPM involves the installation of a new telescope in collaboration with France, China and Taiwan, whose main mirror, two metres in diameter, will be used to explore objects whose brightness varies very rapidly over time.
