BINGO Telescope: Outreach at Expotec 2021

Members of the international collaboration for the construction of the BINGO radio telescope presented the updates of the outreach team at the Expotec 2021. The Expotec is a science and technology fair held in João Pessoa (PB), from September 30th to October 1st. In a booth set up at the fair, undergraduate students of Physics and Electrical Engineering of the Federal University of Campina Grande – members of the BINGO outreach team –  demonstrated the efficiency of a horn for radio wave observation. The equipment was built at the university at a very low cost, compared to standard antennas. The demonstration simulates the measurements of radio signals, working just like the BINGO radio telescope. 

Visitors were able to understand how someone can filter a specific radio signal in the middle of a noise (simulating the signal measurement of BAO – Baryon Acoustic Oscillation). Furthermore, they observed the reproduction of a song transmitted by a Vivaldi antenna. Moreover, professor and researcher Luciano Barosi, coordinator of the BINGO project in Paraíba, presented the challenges of building a radio telescope, the scientific advances that can be achieved through its development, its interdisciplinarity, and technological and scientific developments which BINGO can bring to the state of Paraíba.

BINGO Project: Fighting for science at Paraíba’s outback

This outreach project started its activities in 2018, involving a multidisciplinary group of researchers and attending two public schools in the city of Aguiar, located in the Paraiba’s outback and which will hold the BINGO radio telescope. The main objective of the project is to provide scientific knowledge for students of the community of Aguiar, creating a strong connection through education, between BINGO and the citizens of this small town. The project’s agenda for 2021/2022  intends to develop horn antennas with low-cost materials that will serve as radio astronomy laboratories. We intend to plan several activities of observation using these horns and take them to Aguiar for outreach proposes. 

The BINGO Radio Telescope

It is one of the largest science projects in the country, led by Brazilian researchers. The collaboration has members from several countries, working on distinct areas of research related to radio astronomy.

Credits:
Outreach Coordinator: Prof. João Rafael Santos (UFCG)
Journalist: Márcia Dementshuk
Translation to English: Larissa Lima and João Rafael Santos
Photos: Jefferson Valentim, Vanessa Vera, and Raphaela Ramalho
Social Media: Raphaela Ramalho
Date: 25/11/2021