Colombian Bingo

Astronomy is the science that studies stars that may be billions of kilometers away, but is closer than you think!

Learn about everything that our country has developed in this area of science.

La astronomía va a tu colegio: Inicio

Why?

In our country, we have a rich history in astronomy. We have professional programs, renowned astrophysicists, planetariums, observatories, research groups, and projects for children, youth, and adults interested in the field, and much more.

We want to emphasize that astronomy is not only found in distant countries, but within Colombia we have much to contribute in this area. Learn about it in a fun way while playing.

OUR PHYSICAL KIT

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The bingo contains:

16 game cards.
3 sheets with a total of 27 characters that can be cut out.

How to play?

Explanatory video

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Instructions PDF

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Printable version

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1.

Each player (or team) receives a bingo board, which shows a selection of images of astronomy in Colombian places, events an characters.

2.

Choose one person as the “game director,” who will be responsible for shuffling and drawing the cards from the deck, announcing each element as it is revealed to the other players.

3.

Players must be attentive, and if the advertised image is on their lottery card, they must cover it with a “token”.

4.

The game continues each time the “game director” mentions one of the characters. And the players continue to cover the corresponding images on their boards.

5.

The first player to cover all the images on their bingo board shouts “Astronomy!”, and wins the game.

6.

When you have a winner, take a moment to review and discuss with the other players the places, events and characters that are on the board, for everyone to learn.

Meet the characters of our Bingo!

These are some of the places, historical characters, projects and others that are introduced in this activity

We certainly know that there are many more (and hopefully will be more in the future!)

National Observatory

Travel back in time to 1803 and discover the first astronomy observatory in the American continent! Located in the beautiful city of Bogotá, and part of the historic presidential palace, Casa de Nariño, this observatory tells secrets about the sky from over two centuries back. Did you know this is a national treasure since 1975?

Lear more here

Francisco José de Caldas

Meet Francisco José, a heroe of science born in 1768 in Popayán. He was more than just an astronomer! He also explored the world as a geographer, he studied plants as a botanist and even helped in the war for Colombian Independence! He was the first director of the National Observatory. He changed the way we measure time in our country, establishing Bogotá instead of Cádiz (in Spain) as the point of reference.

Learn more here

Julio Garavito Armero

Can you imagine having a crater on the Moon being named after you? Julio Garavito Armero, born in Bogotá in 1865 made it! Astronomer, mathematician, economist and even poet, Julio left us a legacy that has reached all the way to the Moon, literally. He studied how the Moon affects our world from the climate to tides and glaciers. A visionary who even studied how Earth accelerates as it orbits around the Sun.

Learn more here

Dra. Paola Pinilla

Travel in space with Dr. Paola Pinilla, a scientis from Bogotá that now teaches in London. She investigates how planets are born and discovers the mysteres of the first cosmic rocks. Paola has revealed that proto planetary discs are not uniform, but that have areas where dust accumulates, forming the seeds of future planets. She has won prestigious international prizes such as the Sofja Kovalevskaja Fellowship and theNew Horizons Prize in Physics.

Visit her website here

Tatacoa Desert

Discover the Tatacoa Desert, an oasis for astronomy lovers in the State of Huila. The clear and dark skies in this area makes it one of the best places in the world to explore the cosmos. The low light pollution and its elevation make it a perfect place to see galaxies, stars, planets and shooting stars.

Learn more about the observatories in the desert.

Villa de Leyva Fest

Celebrate the night sky at the Astronomy Fest in Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, where every year since 1997 astronomy amaterus and professionals meet here under the stars. Learn about the mysteries of the universe, share experiences, and discover a passion for astronomy in one of the most enchanting events in Colombia.

This was their latest event

The only undergraduate program in Astronomy

Founded in 2009 at Universidad de Antioquia in Medellín, this is the only undergraduate program offering a professional career in Astronomy in Colombia. The program lasts 5 years (10 semesters). Nevertheles, an alternative to becoming an astronomer in Colombia is to study a similar field like physics, chemistry, biology, or engineering with a focus in astronomy.

Learn more about the program here

Planetariums in the Caribbean

If you are in the North of the country, you can enjoy the two planetariums to get closer to Astronomy from the Caribbean region.

Barranquilla - Planetario Combarranquilla.

Cartagena - Planetario de la Escuela Naval de Cadetes.

Visit their respective websites.

Planetariums in the Central Andean Region

In the heart of Colombia, you find the highest number of planetariums with public access. A few examples are:

Medellín - Planetario de Medellín

Bogotá - Planetario de Bogotá

Bucaramanga - Planetario Halley, UIS

Visit their respective websites

Planetariums in the South Western Region

If you are in the South Western region of the country, you can enjoy three planetariums to get closer to astronomy.

Quinchía, Risaralda - Planetario Jesús María Arias

Pereira, Risaralda- Planetario UTP

Cali, Valle del Cauca - Planetario de EMAVI

Visit their respective websites

Dr. Juan Rafael Martínez Galarza

Meet Dr. Juan Rafael Martínez, an astronomer from Bogotá who has unveiled the secrets of stars and galaxies. From the prestigious Harvard Center for Astrophysica and the Smithsonian, Juan studies how stars are born and evolve. His work helps us to understand the universe and also contributes to the development of astronomy in Colombia through multiple scientific collaborations.

Visit his website

Astronomy Olympiads

Participate in the exciting Astronomy Olympiads in Colombia, where students from 9th, 10th and 11th grade compete locally and internationally while gainig knowledge about the fascinnatign wonders of the cosmos. These Olympiads help inspire and cultivate future scientists, encouraging a pàssion for astronomy from an early age.

Learn more about participation in the OCA

Artificial Satellite

Meet Libertad 1, the first Colombian satellite launched to space in 2007. This small but powerful cube, decorated with our flag, marked a historical milestone as it sent data from space shortly after its launch. It was an emblematic project carried out by Colombian students and teachers from the Universidad Sergio Arboleda in Bogotá. It measured 10×10×10 cm and weighed 1 kg.

Learn more about this project

Exoplanet named by an indigenous tribe

In 2023, the community U'wa de la Sierra Nevada del Cocuy won an international contest to name a star and its exoplanet. They called the star 'Uúba', a word used to designate stars, seeds, and the eyes. The exoplanet was named 'Cuancoá', which means 'morning star that sets before the Sun rises'.

Learn more about the contest here.

MuTe - Muon Telescope

MuTe -named after a typical soup from the State of Santander-, comes from the initials of Muon Telescope. This is the only telescope in Colombia that detects high energy particles called muons. We can use this telescope to help characterize the interior of complex structures such as volcanoes. This is a project led by Grupo Halley at the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga. MuTe is in its test phase in volcanoes like Cerro Machín in Tolima.

Learn more about the project

Dra. Diana Trujillo

Meet Dra. Diana Trujillo, an aerospace engineer born in Cali who reached other worlds... and beyond! Diana has been a crucial member on NASA missions to our neighboring planet Mars. She led the team that developed the robotic arm of the Perseverance rover. Her work not only focuses on solving the mysteris of Mars, but also inspires millions with her educational projects. Diana is currently a Flight Director at NASA´s Johnson Space Center near Houston, TX.

Learn more about Diana

Astronomy Graduate School - Universidad Nacional

In Colombia, you can get a Master´s and PhD degree from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. The syllabus covers multiple fields of astronomy and it has an observatory equipped to do science.

Learn more about the programs

Silatupue

Silatupue is the only observatory in Colombia built and managed by an indigenous tribe, specifically the Cabildo Indígena Aldea de María Putisnán, located in Aldea de María, Nariño. This is the observatory at highest altitude in Colombia and was recently inaugurated in 2022. The observatory focuses on outreach with multiple activities and open night to the public.

Learn more in their social media below

Network of Colombian Astronomy Student - RECA

RECA makes important connecitons that can help you in different educational stages. RECA's mission is to create and maintain strong links between students and professional astronomers to support each other. With this in mind, they handle different programs for students from early ages in school to motivate interest in science, all the way to univserity students wanting a career path in astronomy or related sciences.

Learn more about RECA

Dra. Adriana Ocampo

Born in Barranquilla, Adriana is a planetary geologist. She was the first person to discover the Chicxulub impact crater, which caused the extinction of more than 50% of Earth's species, including the dinosaurs. She is also the leader of NASA's New Frontiers missions.

Learn more about Adriana

Program for girls: She is Astronauta

The program 'She is Astronaut' inspires young girls and adolescents to reach the stars! Since 2019, this program strengthens skills in science and technology, inspiring young girls to pursue their dreams. With support from NASA, participants experience astronaut training and learn about robotics and programming.

Learn more about the project

Chicas STEAM

Program from the Ministery TIC, en collaboration with the science center Maloka, wants to motivate young school girls (ages 12-15) . It fosters the development of skills in areas such as science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics, as well as the development of ideas and projects that help transform Colombia.

Learn more about the project

Oficinas de Astronomía

Astronomy in Colombia has international help thanks to the International Astronomical Union to support the study of astronomy and related sciences in Colombia. It also supports dissemination centers such as planetariums, museums, and interactive centers to enhance the development of astronomy outreach to the general public.

Learn more about these offices

Red de Astronomía de Colombia

The Red de Astronomía de Colombia is an organization that promotes astronomy science and outreach to the public. They have groups throughout the country and meet every two years at the RAC conference to discuss new outreach and education projects being carried out in the country (you could search online for the group closest to you).

Learn more about RAC

Colombian Meteorite

In 1810, a massive 411 kg meteorite fell from the sky and landed in Tocavita, near Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Boyacá. This celestial visitor, now on display at the National Museum of Colombia in Bogotá, offers us a unique window into the cosmos and the materials that make up our universe.

Learn more about this meteorite

Exoplanet in the name of Gabriel García Márquez

In 2019, the star HD 93083 was named Macondo and its exoplanet Melquíades in reference to 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by our Nobel laureate García Márquez. The names were given by the astronomy club of the Abraham Maslow School in Bogotá.

Learn more about the contest here.

Astronomy research in the country

Although there are few university programs in Colombia dedicated exclusively to astronomy, several universities offer degrees in related sciences and have research groups in astronomy. This is the case in cities such as Barranquilla, Pasto, Montería, Bucaramanga, Pereira, Cali, Bogotá, Tunja, and Medellín.

Read this article to learn more about the research