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All Colombia Villavieja Tatacoa Astronomia

Tatacoa Astronomia

A self-taught astronomer fell in love with the stars and built his own observatory in Colombia.

Villavieja, Colombia

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Lucy Sherriff
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The Milky Way visible from the Tatacoa Desert.   LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images
An eerily-bright moon shines on a clear night in Tatacoa   Lucy Sherriff
The Tatacoa Desert has very little pollution or noise, making it an excellent site for astronomy.   Javier Restrepo
The observatory in the Tatacoa Desert.   Javier Restrepo
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About

Tatacoa Astronomia isn’t the largest observatory in Colombia's Tatacoa Desert, but it is certainly the most famous. Built by a Colombian who fell in love with the stars, the observatory has created almost a cult following among amateurs and professional astronomers alike.

Tatacoa is technically a semi-dry tropical forest, but its arid conditions and Mars-like landscape mean many tend to mistake the region for a desert. Its dry desert-like climate and proximity to the equator—it lies 3.2324° N and 75.1688° W—make it perfect for star-gazing. Tatacoa is also extremely isolated, meaning there is no light pollution from any neighboring towns.

In 2015, the observatory was opened by Javier Fernando Rua Restrepo, a self-taught astronomer who hails from Cali, and who fell in love with Tatacoa after traveling there as a university student. After saving up while working at the official government observatory, Restrepo decided to start his own and became so well known within astronomy circles that scientists sent him telescopes so he could adequately stock his observatory.

The small building, which lies behind a makeshift tarpaulin fence, attracts stargazers from around the world, who come to see the magnificent array of stars on offer. On some nights, every single constellation—all 88 of them—can be seen from Tatacoa.

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Deserts Stars Dark Skies Astronomy Observatories

Know Before You Go

Check the cycle of the moon. If it’s a full moon, the stars won’t be so bright, so it’s best to go when the moon is in its waning crescent phase. Keen astronomers shouldn’t miss Restrepo’s star party, a camping weekend with music and food, which he holds every July.

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Added By

Lucy Sherriff

Edited By

lexberko, Michelle Cassidy

  • lexberko
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

September 13, 2018

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Tatacoa Astronomia
Cra 4 N 5-08 B. la Estacion
Villavieja
Colombia
3.218357, -75.21756
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Villavieja

Villavieja

Colombia

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Nearby Places

Tatacoa Desert

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miles away

La Gaitana Monument

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Villavieja

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Colombia

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