Concepcion, 24 July 2025

Between galaxies and extraterrestrials: Stellar fridays of astronomy return

• After a period of pause, the popular lecture series “Stellar Fridays of Astronomy” returned to the premises of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Concepcion (UdeC), with two sessions dedicated to fascinating topics: galaxies and the possibility of extraterrestrial life on our planet. These first two talks took place on 13 and 27 June, drawing a combined audience of over 90 attendees.

The first lecture, titled “Galaxies: The Fundamental Building Blocks of the Universe”, was presented by Dr. Vicente Villanueva, a postdoctoral researcher at UdeC, and a member of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA) and the Millennium Nucleus of Galaxies (MINGAL). The talk explored key aspects of galaxies, such as their most prominent structures and morphologies, the telescopes astronomers use to study them, and the current state of research in the field — with the aim of understanding what we have learned about them in recent years.

The second lecture, titled “The Drake Equation”, was presented by Dr. Michael Fellhauer, UdeC academic and associate researcher at CATA. During the session, attendees had the opportunity to learn about the Drake Equation — a formula developed to estimate the number of detectable civilisations that might exist in the Milky Way. The equation considers factors such as the rate of star formation in the galaxy, the fraction of those stars that host planetary systems, and the number of planets per solar system with environments suitable for life.

“With a successful return, we have resumed this traditional activity of our Department. We had a large number of attendees, from adults to young children, who also had the chance to speak with the researchers and ask questions after each talk. We are glad to bring back these talks, which are free and of high quality, and which we will continue to hold on a monthly basis,” said Celeste Burgos, Head of Outreach and Communications at the Department of Astronomy.

As the journalist points out, “Stellar Fridays of Astronomy” is a monthly event organised by the Department of Astronomy at the University of Concepcion, aimed at bringing this science closer to the public in an engaging and accessible way. The series is known for the high quality delivered by the academics who lead each session. These events are completely free of charge and open to all, with no registration required. The public is warmly invited to attend each session at the Alamiro Robledo Auditorium of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, on the dates and times announced by the department via its social media channels.

Celeste Burgos Badal
Department of Astronomy Communications