Paraguay Guide for Tourist

Centro de Interpretacion Astronomica Buenaventura Suarez

As part of the push for improvements to the Ruta Jesuitica (Jesuit Route) Paraguay’s tourism ministry inaugurated the Centro de Interpretacion Astronomica Buenaventura Suarez astronomy center in early 2010. The center is located in what used to be the casa de indios (indigenous dwellings) sector of the San Cosme mission (across the plaza from the church). The planetarium and observatory (equipped with an eleven inch Celestron telescope) allows visitors to place themselves in the shoes of Father Buenaventura Suarez, Jesuit priest and astronomer, observing the night skies of San Cosme y Damian. Summer 7am-6pm daily, winter 7am-5:30pm daily, Entry fee Gs. 25,000 valid for ruins of Trinidad and Jesus as well. Guides: Rolando Barboza 073 275 286, 0985 732 956, Mariela Cantero 0985 933532, Perla Machuca 0985 732 956

Father Buenaventura: the Jesuit Astronomer

Born in 1678 in present day Santa Fe, Argentina, Father Buenaventura Suarez entered the Jesuit order in 1695. In 1706 he joined the San Cosme y Damian mision and though in 1714 he moved to a different mission he returned to San Cosme several times during his life. Over the course of thirty three years he produced annual comprehensive lunar calendars which were distributed throughout the Jesuit Misiones and include information such as sunrise and sunset times, calendar for lunar phases, solar and lunar eclispses and various other astronomical data as well as information on religious dates and weather predictions. His Lunario de un Siglo, published in 1740, was an extraordinarily detailed work in which Buenaventura determined lunar activity from 1740 to 1841. The majority of his research for the book was done without advanced astronomical tools which were unavailable in the region. Instead Buenaventura depended on locally sourced materials such as quartz crystals from the Parana River which he used as lenses.

For those interested in persuing astronomy in Paraguay the Asociacion de Aficionados a la Astronomia holds meetings in their headquarters in Asuncion the first and third Saturday of every month from 3:00 to 5:00. Their website contains information about constellations visible from Paraguay’s night sky as well as information on Guarani and Jesuit astronomy. The website (www.astropar.org) also has Padre Buenaventura’s Libro Lunario available in its entirety in PDF format.

Tel: 0982 334 893, Calle Mayor Martinez and Lazaro de Rivera (in Asuncion’s Sajonia neighborhood) www. astropar. org