Dark Skies, Big Data: Astronomy and Development in Chile

5 credits · Undergraduate

This course examines how Chile's world-class observatories - located in the Atacama Desert, home to a large share of global ground-based observing capacity - translate frontier science into data, technology, and societal value. The course follows the lifecycle of modern astronomy, from instruments and large-scale surveys to data analysis and real-world applications. It connects astrophysics with broader questions in engineering, environment, and public policy, including dark-sky protection, resource tradeoffs (water, energy, land), governance, and community engagement. Through guest talks, hands-on data workshops, and a field-based learning experience, students explore how scientific infrastructure operates in practice. The final project allows students to apply tools and approaches from their major to an interdisciplinary problem linked to astronomy and development.