GeminiFocus 2014 Year in Review | Page 81

Students from Colegio José Manuel Balmaceda in la Serena cheer over their “thermal protection system” creation during a workshop led by David Yenerall, astronomer and ambassador for NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission. Gemini South’s Pedro Gigoux interacts with some of the nearly 3000 visitors that attended AstroDay Chile. The event featured staffed kiosks, informative talks, portable planetarium shows, and a great photographic gallery of the Astronomy of Chile’s native people. From 5 p.m. to midnight, the city of La Serena opened its Plaza de Armas and the University of La Serena’s Outreach Center to the community, offering innovative astronomy experiences. Here, girl scouts enjoy their visit to the kiosks before a popular talk titled “The Simpsons and Astronomy.” January 2015 2014 Year in Review GeminiFocus 79