Enrique Pérez Montero, a visually impaired astrophysicist: "Astronomy can be approached in an inclusive way"

More than a hundred people attended yesterday’s lecture “Marching Toward Inclusive Eclipses (Science and Culture with the Sun and the Moon), lecture part of the“Mondays in the Sun”series, which on this occasion featured presentations by astrophysicists Javier Armentia and Enrique Pérez Montero.

The session focused on the scientific explanation of eclipses and the need to make science accessible to everyone. In this regard, Enrique Pérez Montero, researcher a visual impairment, argued that“astronomy and astrophysics can be understood in an inclusive way,”emphasizing that the knowledge dissemination must be adapted to all levels of ability.

During his remarks, Pérez Montero explained that inclusion “starts with recognizing that we are excluding someone” and distinguished between concepts such as segregation, integration, and inclusion. He also noted that article .1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes access to culture and science as a universal right.

The astrophysicist presented his“Astroaccesible” project , an initiative that develops resources such as tactile models, embossed illustrations, and audio adaptations to explain astronomical phenomena. Through sound, attendees were able to understand how concepts such as the movement between the Sun, Earth, and Moon or the phases of an eclipse are represented from a non-visual perspective. “By striving to be inclusive, we’re able to convey science much more effectively and open the door to creativity,” he said.

For his part, astrophysicist and science communicator Javier Armentia addressed the phenomenon of eclipses from a approach and educationalapproach . He explained the differences between solar and lunar eclipses, as well as the conditions necessary for them to occur, highlighting the inclination of the Moon’s orbit as one of the core topic factors.

Armentia also described what the eclipse on August 12, 2026, will be like; it will reach its peak around 8:30 p.m. and will be visible across much of the Iberian Peninsula. He also stressed the importance of using certified filters for viewing to prevent eye damage. Pérez Montero emphasized that people with visual impairments should also wear protective glasses to ensure a safe experience.

Both speakers agreed that the experience of an eclipse is not merely visual. “An eclipse can be seen, heard, and enjoyed in other ways,” Armentia said.

The lecture with a question-and-answer session that addressed practical issues regarding safe observation, the perception of the phenomenon, and the astronomical proportions between celestial bodies. Beyond the technical aspects, the workshop a clear message: for science to be truly universal, it must be inclusive at its core.

This lecture series on May 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Civican (Avda. Pio XII, 2, Pamplona) with the lecture “Guardians of the Sky: The Sun and the Moon in the Pre-Columbian Worldview,”presented by José Luis de Rojas y Gutiérrez de Gandarilla and Francisco Gil García (Complutense University of Madrid), and Pilar Latasa (University of Navarra).