The Da del Astteroide remembers all that remains to be done and to know

Fabio Arias identified 753 potentially dangerous asteroids for the Earth. He is one of the anonymous "hunters" that the Spanish Virtual Observatory must identify and correct the trajectories of asteroids crossing the solar system. This Friday, the Millennium Core of Global Training (NPF) teaches Valparaso how to be one of them (sign up for the waiting list on: https://bit.ly/ 2t6Y529).

The workshop is framed in the activities of the International Dato of the Asteroid, which aim to put emphasis in these fossils of the formation of the solar system, the same who can we teach and threaten at the same time.

This day – which is commemorated on June 30 – is a global initiative born in 2015. Led by Brian May, Queen's astrophysicist and guitarist, with astronauts, Nobel laureates, scientists and various artists, this celebration aims to publicize asteroids, their potential threats "To be part of the Spanish citizen science initiative, all you need is to have a computer and internet connection," says Amelia Bayo, a university professor at the University of California. Valparaiso and director of NPF. The task is to track an asteroid through astronomical images taken by observatories around the world, including Chileans, to confirm or correct the trajectory of the object. This is crucial for determining potentially dangerous asteroids, adds the astrome.

While the possibility of an asteroid of considerable size hitting the planet is real, it is much more common for lesser objects that carry no risk. In other words, traces of the formation of the solar system come from the sky. "They are concentrated between Mars and Jpiter and, as we can not search for them, it's a great opportunity to improve what little we know about our system," he adds.

. The aridity and almost no human presence make the Atacama Desert one of the largest deposits of meteorites on the planet. "We have a natural repository where research teams from around the world come to work, which is why it's important to preserve it," says Leonardo Vanzi, professor at the Astro-Engineer Center of the US. Catholic University

. On Monday and until tomorrow, the exhibition "Meteorites Space Traveler" is presented at the UC Innovation Center. The sample is free and guided. Saturday will be transferred to the Planetarium of the University of Santiago, where it will be part of the closure of this year's activities.