The Planetarium of Bogotá is a cultural center and

planetarium A planetarium (: planetariums or planetaria) is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetariums is ...

located in the International Center of Bogota, Colombia, within Independence Park. Its dome has a 23-metre screen

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

Features

The Planetarium was built at the initiative of Mayor

Virgilio Barco Vargas Virgilio Barco Vargas (17 September 1921 – 20 May 1997) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 27th President of Colombia serving from 7 August 1986 to 7 August 1990. Early life Barco was born in Cúcuta in the No ...

in 1967, and officially opened on December 22, 1969. This was the first of a set of nine museums, which operate today as a cultural center in the city. The Planetarium also contains a Space Museum, a Public Library and a Conference Auditorium. The building also housed in the beginning, the Natural Science Museum, the Film District and the Museum of Modern Art. Since 2003, the planetarium has permanently displayed the

Colombia lunar sample displays The Colombia lunar sample displays are two unmounted commemorative plaques consisting of small fragments of Moon rock brought back with the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 lunar missions. The samples are part of the permanent collection of the Bogotá Pl ...

that were gifted by the United States Federal Government to the People of Colombia. In 2008, when the city turned 470 years old, the Planetarium bought a new projector. To provide better service to visitors, a public souvenir shop and a modern café were created. In 2011 began the final stage of planetary remodeling which reinforced the structure, improved signage, renewed dome projection screen, expanded capacity and built the Space Museum, which consists of five interactive rooms.

Gallery

File:Bogotá's Apollo 8 Photograph.jpg, An ''

Earthrise ''Earthrise'' is a photograph of Earth and part of the Moon's surface that was taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission. Nature photographer Galen Rowell described it as "the most in ...

'' photograph inscribed and signed by

Frank Borman Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel (United States), colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman. He was the commander of Apollo ...

File:Colombia Apollo 11 lunar sample display.jpg,

from the

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

mission File:Colombia Apollo 17 lunar sample display.jpg,

from the

Apollo 17 Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the eleventh and final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the sixth and most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon, ...

mission File:Centro Cultural - Antigua Plaza de Toros Santa María.JPG, The planetarium building next to the

Santamaría Bullring Santamaría Bullring (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Plaza de Toros de Santamaría'') is a bullring in Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia, and it is currently used for bullfighting, although it has also been used for concerts and other cultural activitie ...

References

Buildings and structures in Bogotá Tourist attractions in Bogotá Planetaria in Colombia {{Colombia-stub