by Andrea Muñoz Gutiérrez
On 20 June 2024, the DESI planetarium show “5000 Eyes” premiered in Mexico City at the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium. Previously shown in traveling planetariums across the country, it is now, for the first time, part of the regular programming at the oldest planetarium in the nation. Authorities from several DESI institutions attended the premiere, along with numerous DESI scientists, both senior and early-career.
Dr. Axel de la Macorra and I spoke at the event on behalf of the DESI survey. Also present on stage to introduce the film were Dr. Abdel Pérez Lorenzana, Academic Secretary of Cinvestav (a DESI institution), and Dr. Tonatiuh Matos (DESI scientist), along with Dr. Ana Lilia Coria Páez and Dr. Omar Matamoros representing the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium. Approximately 260 people enjoyed this inaugural screening of “5000 Eyes.”
Our goal for the event was to convey the wonder of the DESI project to both the authorities and the general public, and we had a significant impact. With the event covered by science communicators and the media, we conducted interviews and spoke with representatives from magazines, social media platforms, and newspapers, and even appeared on TV!
Attendees were wowed by the scale of the DESI project and very happy and thrilled by its results.
During the event, I was incredibly happy to share with colleagues, authorities, and the general public what we do in the collaboration and how we do it. When people approached us with questions, you could see the amazement and joy in their eyes, which is one of the greatest rewards a science communicator can experience.
Now, “5000 Eyes” will be part of the regular film schedule at this planetarium and will be shown at least three times a week. But there’s much more to come! Two planetariums in Guadalajara are set to host premieres in the next few months, and many other planetariums across the country are already interested in screening “5000 Eyes” to share with the public how DESI scientists are creating the largest 3D map in human history.
