by Ana Quedo, member of the travelling team
Lumiar.
Every time I’ve heard this word, I would imagine something related to light, especially because of the sonority. So, now it’s funny that recalling my experience there, light is the first word that comes to my mind, like a thread that sews all these memories together.
When I picture in my mind sunlight or that of the nightsky, it brings back the excitement of the students, despite the cloudy sky. The kids were so curious about the arrangement of the telescopes and about how they worked, that apparently, the fact we could just see a few stars didn’t matter at all.
I also enjoyed talking to them about light-path changing during an activity on gravitational lensing, and the effects we observe in astronomical images due to these changes.
I can say I have discovered a new type of light in Lumiar: the light of curiosity in the eyes of children when talking about Astronomy. Seeing their eyes shining with wonder made every effort worth it!