Having a supermassive black hole or the Milky Way adapted to people with functional diversity is something that has made possible the research project 'A Touch of the Universe', directed by Amelia Ortiz Gil, astrophysicist of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia, of the Science Park, and is developing in its second phase with new "more complex and unique" 3D models
Amelia Ortiz, astrophysicist of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia (OAUV), develops the project 'A Touch of the Universe', which emerges in 2007 to participate in the International Year of Astronomy (2009) with a planetarium program for blind people and that grows over time until reaching a second phase of research in the year 2023. These activities are developed in the Classroom of the sky, an area of this institute located in the scientific-academic area of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), ready to receive research staff, university and primary and secondary students, with or without low vision, and thus discover the universe as they had never imagined: at their fingertips.
"We began to organize activities for 2009 based on previous experiences, such as that of Sebastián Musso in Argentina. We created a programme for blind people which premiered at the Hemisfèric in Valencia with great success", explains the project’s lead researcher. Then, the Moon -"an important reference for the history of humanity," she says, and finally, the four rocky planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
"It is very exciting to feel the enthusiasm with which they receive the models and the explanations that accompany them; and, at the same time, you realize the erroneous conceptions they have. For example, a child who was born blind, who only knows that the Moon exists because there are tactile books, ends up thinking that it is something flat; however, when he touches a sphere for the first time he realizes that it is not so, but has volume... , and to contemplate that reaction is very beautiful", Amelia Ortiz, astrophysicist of the UV Astronomical Observatory
It was then born 'A Touch of the Universe', a charitable research project that made the Universe accessible to blind or low vision people through the production of astrokits that, in addition to the spheres, had a book on the Moon and NASA’s pictures, All this, tactile material. The execution of the work took place with the support of the Bureau of Astronomy for the Development of the International Astronomical Union.
These kits were distributed around the world to disadvantaged countries in the Americas, Africa and Asia so that children with limited resources could understand the elements of the firmament. "It is very exciting to feel the enthusiasm with which they receive the models and the explanations that accompany them; and, at the same time, you realize the erroneous conceptions that they have. For example, a child who was born blind, who only knows that the Moon exists because there are tactile books, ends up thinking that it is something flat; however, when he touches a sphere for the first time he realizes that it is not so, but has volume... , and to see that reaction is very nice," recalls Amelia Ortiz.
Images of the 3D models of the project 'A Touch of the Universe' of the UV Astronomical Observatory. Photo: UV News
'A Touch of the Universe', which also involves researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia and the Cantabria Institute of Physics, goes further and, thanks to funding from European funds, NextGeneration has succeeded in producing new "unique" 3D models. "They are much more complex models that represent more complicated astronomical realities and difficult to explain to anyone, blind or not," says the Valencian astrophysicist.
With the primary aim of "illustrating concepts and showing important objects in astronomy", OAUV proposes striking models, such as the star type Be, "special, very massive, very hot, very young", which has emission lines in its spectrum and rotates extremely quickly, which gives it a curious elongated shape; or the Milky Way that, as Amelia Ortiz argues, "we cannot see because it is so big that it cannot be photographed by a satellite"; instead, through the data provided by the European astrometry mission Gaia it is possible to obtain an accurate and reliable image of the galaxy, now printed in 3D and completely palpable: from its central core to the bar of stars and gas from which two main spiral arms arise giving rise to other secondary arms.
"All this we can tell, we can see it, but if, besides, we can touch it... much better, no?" , points out Ortiz, who also highlights the relevance of the material used for three-dimensional printing, the powder, because it offers an organic and sustainable experience, unlike materials composed of other plastics or resins.
Information obtained through the data of telescopes, such as Hubble, has facilitated the creation of previous models, as well as the local group of galaxies in which the Milky Way is located, allowing us to appreciate "how our neighbors are"; even a local model of the Universe that includes one billion light years and in which "we can see where are the large superclusters of galaxies-clusters of thousands of galaxies in the Universe-and how they are distributed in filaments of dark matter and gas": it is the cosmic web.
A project linked to Expociència
The edition of Expociència 2025, held under the motto "Expociència Without Limits", was marked by its commitment to accessibility and inclusion. This approach turned the open day of the University of Valencia Science Park into a space where science was lived without barriers, with activities designed for people with functional diversity. One of the main protagonists was the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia (OAUV), which presented experiences adapted as 3D tactile models of the universe and a dark planetarium that allowed to travel constellations through touch.
These activities, linked to the 'A Touch of the Universe' project, enabled people with visual disabilities to explore complex astronomical concepts in a sensory, inclusive and pedagogical way. Thus, the OAUV reaffirmed its commitment to accessible consolidating its role in Expociència as a reference in the design of scientific experiences for all audiences.
Do not miss the summary of Expociència without limits, of the last edition of 2025
Source: UV News and own elaboration