About the AI
The Institute of Astrophysics of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is part of the Faculty of Physics, and its primary mission is both the research development in Astrophysics, and teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate level. The members of our Institute conduct research on a variety of issues, which involve from the closest stars and planets to distant galaxies in the Universe.
The research at the Institute is theoretical and observational. Much of the latest make use of telescopes in the north of our country, in which the chilean astronomers have guaranteed 10% of the observing time. Examples of telescope one which the Institute has access are the four VLT telescopes at Paranal, Gemini South on Cerro Pachon, the two Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, and the sub-millimeter interferometer ALMA at Chajnantor plateau.
The Institute is constituted of 15 academics, approximately 40 postdoctoral researchers, 35 graduate students and 9 members of technical and administrative support. Researchers maintain close relations with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics Institute, places where additional research in astronomical instrumentation and general relativity is performed.