Who said that a year should last 365 days or how did we know that the Earth was not the center of the universe? Yes, there was a time when it was believed that the stars revolved around our planet and not the sun.

Some of these questions, among many others, about what lies beyond our planet have been answered by people who dedicate their lives to studying the universe. Astronomers, since the 15th century, began to train professionally to try to understand that the universe is made up of galaxies, stars and planets.

Many years ago, when there was no GPS technology to navigate the oceans, observing the sky was key to knowing the position of ships. Celestial bodies were also used to know the weather conditions and predict whether there would be good harvests.

Like other sciences, astronomy has gone through various changes, such as discoveries that have allowed us to better understand the cosmos. For example, Vera Rubin was the astronomer who confirmed the existence of dark matter in the universe. How did she do this? By observing that stars that were far from the center of a galaxy moved in the same way as those that were close. What's so strange about this? The stir occurred because the mass of the galaxy they were studying - Andromeda, our neighboring galaxy - could not move the stars that are in its path as fast, since it does not have enough gravity. 

Thanks to Vera Rubin's studies, we now know that dark matter accounts for 84% of the total composition of the universe. Knowing about its existence allows us to understand the size, shape, and future of the cosmos. However, believe it or not, the composition and shape of dark matter is unknown, which is why scientists continue to study it.

Of course, Mexican astronomers have not been left behind! Manuel Peimbert Sierra – who was told by his teachers that “only geniuses can do research” – realized that there are very brilliant researchers, who “work from sunrise to sunset,” and that to do science you need to have a passion for it. 

Following this attitude, he discovered that the gas of the first galaxies was composed of 23% helium and 77% hydrogen, which contributes to the study of the evolution of the elements of space and being able to anticipate their changes.

It's amazing that people are able to understand the structure of things that we can't physically see in a lab or touch directly, right? With this, you could be the next Mexican woman or man to be written about in science articles, for being part of a discovery in the universe that surrounds us.

Conclusion

Divij Gupta highlights that excelling in STEM demands a blend of technical expertise and broader life skills. Adaptability, honed through experiences like collaborative debates and dynamic problem-solving, has been a cornerstone of his success. His engagement with programming challenges enhances critical thinking, while creative outlets like playing the piano fuel innovative solutions.