We are using cookies to give a better service experience. By using our services you agree to use cookies. Read more

Accept
Reject
search
clear

Messier Bingo

Play a fun game of bingo and learn about the many wonders of the cosmos!

Play Bingo with objects in the Messier catalogue. Find out about different types of object in the night sky and have fun! You just need to download the Bingo Cards and have an internet connection.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

2018

Established

-

Children

1

Countries
Updated
December 2018
The Messier Bingo is a fun way to introduce some of the most common and visually impressive cosmic objects including star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

About the innovation

What is Messier Bingo?

Charles Messier lived in Paris in the 18th century. He wanted to become famous by discovering comets. When he looked through his telescope he often re-discovered objects which were already known and were not comets. So he didn't waste time, each time he found an object that did not move in the sky he catalogued it.

There are 110 objects in the catalogue. Messier Bingo is game that showcases these objects, and maybe even helps you to learn the difference between the different types.

The bingo tombola generates random images of objects from the Messier Bingo catalogye for you to play the game with, simulating a traditional bingo tombola. All of the images you see in this game have been taken with the Las Cumbres Observatory telescope network, most of them by schools.

The images are shown in a random order and are not taken out of circulation once they have been played, more people can join the game once it has started and you can play multiple times.

Implementation steps

Introduce some cosmic objects

Go to lco.global/education/messierbingo/

Download our astronomical object presentation in either PDF or Powerpoint format.

Talk your audience through the different types of object using the presentation.

Give every player a bingo card

Go to lco.global/education/messierbingo/

Download the ZIP file of 30 bingo cards, unzip it, and print the cards.

Hand a card to each person who is going to play.

Play a game of Messier Bingo

Launch the Messier Bingo random image tombola from messierbingo.lco.global

This little application will simulate the Bingo tombola and give you random Messier objects.

To start the game click the "Next Image" arrow. Mark your card each time one of your objects appears.

When you have marked all the objects on your card shout 'Bingo', 'House' or even 'Messier' to win.

Spread of the innovation

loading map...