Exhibition “Miguel Catalán: Following the luminous trail of atoms”
Exhibition “Miguel Catalán: Following the luminous trail of atoms”
Miguel Catalán: “Following the luminous trail of atoms”
Dates: from 7th Nov. 2025 to 31st Jan. 2026.
Location: Museum of Natural Sciences and General Library of the University of Zaragoza, Paraninfo Building.
Discover the figure of Miguel Catalán, a great Aragonese scientist of the 20th century who made a pioneering and decisive contribution to the development of quantum physics. This ambitious double exhibition invites you on a journey that combines biography, science, and legacy, showing how this native of Zaragoza’s passion for research was fundamental to the knowledge of the structure of matter.
What you will discover in the exhibition:
The exhibition is divided into two main locations in the Paraninfo Building, offering a complete overview of Catalán’s life and work:
In the Museum of Natural Sciences:
Through wall elements, you can explore the biography of Miguel Catalán and his historical context, a time of profound social and scientific changes.
- Science and Atomic Structure: The core of the exhibition focuses on his scientific contributions, highlighting the discovery of multiplets, a finding decisive for the development of the quantum theory of atomic spectra and for the understanding of the structure of the atom.
- Teaching and Leadership: His dedication to teaching and research will be addressed, underlining his pioneering impulse for the participation of women in research.
- Legacy: It concludes with his recognitions, ranging from awards and institutions that remember him to the lunar craters that bear his name.
In the Jorge Coci Hall of the University of Zaragoza Library:
This section offers a detailed vision, supported by original material and documents from institutions such as the Miguel Catalán Archive and the University of Zaragoza.
- International Trajectory: Follow his evolution from his origins in Zaragoza and his academic training, to his crucial stage at Imperial College in London, funded by the Junta de Ampliación de Estudios (JAE), where he made the fundamental discovery of multiplets, consolidating his international fame.
- Female Visibility: His key role in the National Institute of Physics and Chemistry (INFQ) will be highlighted, including the space dedicated to “Women in the INFQ” (“Las mujeres en el INFQ”), making his female collaborators visible.
- Resilience and Recovery: The difficult period of “internal exile” after the Civil War is narrated, along with his struggle to remain active through teaching, until the recovery of his professorship and the return to the laboratory.
A tribute to science and collective effort
The exhibition not only pays tribute to Miguel Catalán, placing him as a top-level figure in 20th-century Spanish science, but also seeks to bring science closer to society, emphasizing the importance of knowledge, curiosity, and collective effort in building the future.
Don’t miss this opportunity to follow the luminous trail of atoms!
This exhibition has been organised by the Real Academia de Ciencias de Zaragoza and INMA.
