Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins

The Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences (MAST) is a space of multiple activities: a federal public institution created in 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, working with the scientific and technological history of Brazil, while promoting and studying the dissemination and education in science.

As a Research Unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications, MAST conducts academic studies in History of Science, Education in Science and preservation of documentary and museological collections. In these areas, in addition to producing knowledge, it organizes congresses and seminars and produces publications and databases.

As a museum, it holds custody of collections of instruments, objects and documents related to Brazilian scientific activity. The collection encompasses the main building and other MAST facilities. These buildings and the museological collection were registered by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute in 1986.

The Museum develops works for the preservation of historical collections, including research, restoration, management and conservation. For this, it maintains the laboratories of Conservation and Restoration of Paper (LAPEL) and Conservation of Scientific Instruments (LAMET). It also offers training courses and professional development and publishes technical norms and guides of consultation of the documentary collections. Some of these works are done in partnership with other museological and research institutions.

In the fields of dissemination and education in science, MAST has much to offer. It presents its collection in permanent exhibition, opens to the public its library and video library, it realizes events like the Program of Observation of the Sky and temporary expositions. It also promotes itinerant activities and develops school attendance programs, which include guided visitation for groups of students and teacher training courses.