Astronomy in Colombia

Abstract

Astronomy in Colombia has been done since the beginning of the nineteenth century, when in 1803 one of the oldest (or maybe the oldest) astronomical observatories of America was built. This is a very beautiful, historical and ancient building. A small dome with a small telescope is also inside the university campus. The observatory marks since then the development of astronomy in Colombia as a professional science. At the present time a Master's programme and a Specialization programme are successfully carried out with a good number of smart young students. The observatory has a staff of eleven professors, all with a master's degree in sciences; two of them have a PhD and in a couple of years five staff members will have a PhD in physics. With some international collaboration, they will introduce in a few years a doctoral astronomical program. There are several research lines mainly in the fields of astrometry, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, astro-statistics and astrobiology. Three research groups have got recognition from the governmental institution that supports the research in sciences COLCIENCIAS. Several papers have been published in national and international journals. Besides the professional line in astronomy, the observatory sponsors several non-professional Colombian astronomical groups that work enthusiastically in the field of astronomy.