It might be said that astronomy has always been an important aspect to knowledge in Mexico. The long tradition of observing the night sky among the Mesoamerican cultures, who chose the site for and built their cities in accordance with the position of the astral bodies, remains alive today in fun activities and amateur groups who travel the universe without taking their feet off the ground.

You can enjoy portents that are not of this world, show your children the beauty of other planets and turn day into night visiting a planetarium or attending one of the observation nights that are held in locations all over the country.

There are a great variety of activities connected with celestial observation, and they are often connected to specific dates. Mexican scientific institutions and some amateur groups promote this activity with evenings of explanations that, while not held every day of the year, are quite easy to find.

The most significant planetariums and observatories in the country include the San Pedro Mártir National Astronomical Observatory, in Baja California; the National Astronomical Observatory located in Tonantzintla, Puebla; the Guillermo Haro Astrophysical Observatory in Cananea, Sonora and the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium, part of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional university in Mexico City.

Other planetariums include the Alfa Planetarium in Monterrey; the José de la Herrán in UNIVERSUM, Ciudad Universitaria (CU), and one at the MUTEC (Museum of Technology), in Chapultepec, both in Mexico City. Together with several others, these are places that turn day into night.

During your visit to Mexico, don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of an observation meeting to share with the scientific community and Mexican families the pleasure of gazing through a telescope at the stars. These meetings are held in public squares, in universities and even in archeological sites.