The Observatory at Cordón Macón, in the remote Atacama region of northwestern Argentina, houses the state-of-the-art TOROS research telescope and camera at one of the best astronomical sites on earth. (Photo by Horacio Rodriguez, IATE)
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Science & Technology, Community
By Amanda Taylor
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – UTRGV has been acknowledged in an official proclamation by the City Commission of Brownsville for its efforts to study the stars and for its multiple contributions to the fields of space, science and astronomy.
The city officially designated Oct. 4 – 10 as Space Week, with Oct. 9 set as Astronomy Day by the Astronomical League.
World Space Week (WSW) is an annual holiday observed from Oct. 4 - 10 in more than 95 nations throughout the world. World Space Week is officially defined as “an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition.”
The UTRGV Dr. Cristina V. Torres Memorial Astronomical Observatory, located at the Resaca de la Palma State Park in Brownsville, is included in the proclamation as an example of how Brownsville is continuing to study the stars.
The observatory fosters astronomical research projects such as tracking asteroids, observing the stars, exoplanet transients, deep sky object detection and supernova searches within galaxies.
UTRGV’s Center of Gravitational Wave Astronomy was also recognized in the proclamation as a center that furthers scientific research and education in gravitational-wave astronomy. CGWA expands research on multi-messenger astronomy through international collaborations such as the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration and the Transient Optic Robotic Observatory of the South (TOROS) Collaboration.
Dr. Mario C. Díaz, director of the UTRGV Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and professor of physics and astronomy, said the recognition from Brownsville is rewarding for the university.
“I came to Brownsville 25 years ago to become a faculty member at the University of Texas,” he said. “To see how our community, through its City Commission, has so proudly embraced the educational and scientific work of our physics and astronomy faculty and students after all these years is truly rewarding.”
Other astronomical advances recognized within Brownsville include SpaceX and the South Texas Astronomical Society (STARS), which cultivates interest in astronomy and space through public education events.
The City of Brownsville officially designated Oct. 4-10 as Space Week, with Oct. 9 set as Astronomy Day by the Astronomical League. UTRGV was acknowledged in the official proclamation by the City Commission of Brownsville for its efforts to study the stars and for its multiple contributions to the fields of space, science and astronomy. (Courtesy of City of Brownsville)
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.