COSPAR 2022 will be held in the Universidad Católica del Norte (Casa central), located in Antofagasta, Chile.

The Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) is an institution of significant importance in the scientific, academic and cultural life of northern Chile.

Most of their students come from different locations of northern Chile. The university is a leader in the region, forming professionals in different specialties, including Engineering, Astrophysics and Geology, among many others (http://www.ucn.cl/admision/carreras).

Part of its technological facilities are concentrated in different research centers, research institutes, and departments.

Student facilities:

-Sodexo Restaurant, cafeterias, library

-Health Care Unit

 

You can find more information about the university here

 

 

Map of the campus

 

Address: Av. Angamos 0610, Antofagasta, Chile

  

 

 

Upon Arrival – Antofagasta

Andrés Sabella International Airport (IATA: ANF, OACI: SCFA), is located 25km north of downtown Antofagasta, no more than 30 minutes away to the downtown area by car.

Upon arrival at the Antofagasta airport, out to the arrivals area, there are several alternatives to transport at the city.

There are shared minibus services (Transfer Transvip and Transfer Tranhaap) to the city and depending on the sector of Antofagasta, they will not cost more than CLP $8.000 each way. These companies also offer private car services, which will charge between CLP $15.000 and CLP $20.000 per ride.

The public transportation includes more than 20 different buses lines that cover most of the city, where the payment is $700 CLP direct to the driver. Also there are different lines of collective cars that looks like taxis, but they have a fixed price for a certain distance ($700 CLP short distances). They show their line numbers in illuminated signs in their roof.

 

Climate  

Chile is mainly a desert from Santiago to the north, in both the coast and the Andean area. On the northern coast rains are very rare. The Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, goes from southern Peru to the South of Copiapó, being Antofagasta located in the core of the desert.

The cause of the aridity is a cold sea current, the Humboldt Current, which inhibits the formation of upward air currents that could generate rain clouds. Of course, the sea current is cold in comparison with the tropical latitude of the area. However, the sun is often obscured by fog and low clouds called Camanchacas, especially from April to October, although this happens less frequently than in nearby Peru; it goes better in summer, from December to February, which is therefore the best time to visit this northern part of the coast.

The temperatures along the coast are mild, almost always spring-like: 20ºC average for summer and 14ºC average for winter (range 11-16 ºC), the wind can increase the sensation of lower temperatures.
 

Electricity

Voltage standard  – 220-240 Volt at 50 Hertz – is used in Chile. Sockets use the two round pin system as in Italy.

 

Time zone

Continental Chile is UTC-3 in summer (September-May)