Published: 23rd April 2026 16:13 (UTC)

As part of Astronomy Day, celebrated in Chile on the Southern Hemisphere autumn equinox since 2014, the NAEC-Chile team developed four school activities for students of different ages, from pre-school to secondary education. The activities were shared through NAEC-Chile’s social media channels (@naec_chile) and sent directly to teachers and schools. Using simple hands-on materials and observations of shadows cast by the Sun, they promote scientific skills such as observation, recording, measurement, and analysis, while helping students explore the apparent motion of the Sun through classroom and schoolyard activities.

The activities were piloted before the equinox with a class of secondary school students and with children and friends of the NAEC-Chile team. One of these pilot workshops was held by Diego Ceballos on March 11 at Liceo Pablo Sexto in Pucón, with 9th- and 10th-grade students (Picture 1). During the workshop, three activities were piloted: building a quadrant (NAEC Chile Activity 01), building a gnomon (NAEC Chile Activity 02), and building a sundial (NAEC Chile Activity 04). Each activity was carried out by a different pair of students and simultaneously filmed to produce complementary videos to accompany the written guides. These videos were later published on social media to support the dissemination and understanding of the activities. On the day of the equinox, our team members conducted workshops in four different regions of the country:

1. La Serena, north of Chile. Charlotte Cuello delivered the activity “The Path of the Sun” (NAEC Chile Activity 04) at Seminario Conciliar School, where secondary school students recorded and analyzed how the direction and length of a shadow change throughout the day, relating this to the apparent position of the Sun. They also identified solar noon (when the shadow is shortest) and used this information to determine the cardinal directions by constructing a compass rose based on their observations. Although the day was partially cloudy, a model of the Sun was used to simulate its trajectory (picture 2).
2. Valparaíso, Chile’s central region. Irma Fuentes led the workshop “Compass in the Sky: Determining Our Latitude” at Universidad de Playa Ancha (UPLA). Students from the Physics, Chemistry, and Science Teacher Education programs attended the activity. Participants arrived with a previously constructed quadrant to determine the Sun’s altitude at solar noon on the day of the equinox (NAEC Chile Activity 01). Despite cloudy conditions, the activity was successfully carried out by simulating the Sun using mobile phone flashlights (picture 3).
3. Santiago, Chile’s capital city. Lara Rodrigues conducted the workshop “Shadows at the Equinox: Celebrating Astronomy under the same sky” at Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE). With the participation of Primary school, Physics, and Chemistry pre-service teachers, the activity aimed to review the concept of equinox, register and measure shadows, estimate the Sun's maximum angular height with gnomons and quadrants, and calculate local latitude (NAEC Chile Activities 01 and 02). The workshop also included a few minutes dedicated to publicizing and celebrating the Equal Day initiative (picture 4).
4. Villarrica, south of Chile. Maximiliano Montenegro held the workshop “Astronomy Day” at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The event was open to the whole campus community. It was especially aimed at pre-service teachers in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education, particularly those interested in Science and Mathematics. During the workshop, six astronomy education activities designed for implementation during the school day were presented: building a quadrant (NAEC Chile Activity 01), building a gnomon (NAEC Chile Activity 02), tracing shadows to study the Sun’s apparent motion (NAEC Chile Activity 03), building a sundial (NAEC Chile Activity 04), a scale model exhibition of the Solar System, and a telescope-based observation activity. The workshop particularly highlighted the activities proposed by NAEC Chile for the Astronomy Day celebration in schools, emphasizing their pedagogical value and potential for use in real educational contexts.

All activities and their complementary resources are available in Spanish:

• Activity 1. Building a quadrant to measure the position of the Sun during an equinox This activity is based on the NAEC Chile Activity 01, “Finding the latitude of your city I.” It consisted of building a quadrant to safely measure the Sun’s maximum angular height at solar noon on the day of an equinox. The activity introduces concepts such as angular height, local meridian, solar noon, and latitude without requiring direct observation of the Sun. Available here.
• Activity 2. Building a gnomon and measuring its shadow during an equinox This activity is based on the NAEC Chile Activity 02, “Finding the latitude of your city II.” In this activity, participants build and install a gnomon to measure the length of its shadow at solar noon on the day of an equinox. From this measurement, it is possible to estimate the Sun’s height and relate it to the location's latitude, while also encouraging discussion of the Sun’s apparent motion and the shape of the Earth. Available here.
• Activity 3. Tracing children’s shadows at different times of the day This activity is based on the NAEC Chile Activity 03, “Chasing the Sun.” Designed especially for early childhood education, it invites children to observe and compare shadows at different times of day to recognize that their direction and size change with the Sun’s apparent position. The activity promotes observation, comparison, and the construction of simple evidence-based explanations. Available here.
• Activity 4. Building a sundial and recording its shadow throughout the day This activity is based on the NAEC Chile Activity 04, “The Sun’s path in the schoolyard.” It consisted of building a simple sundial and recording its shadow's position throughout the day to identify changes associated with the Sun’s apparent motion. The activity allows students to work with concepts such as spatial orientation, cardinal points, solar noon, and the Sun’s daily path. Available here.

The NAEC-Chile team plans to share these materials again in the coming months to encourage their use during the September equinox. This renewed dissemination will help extend the initiative's educational impact, promoting the continued use of these astronomy activities in schools and other learning spaces beyond the March celebration.

         

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