Birla Planetarium gets a makeover

Accordingly, hybrid projection system will be able to show images of stars and other smaller objects in the solar system. At present, the sky theatre of the planetarium, maintained by Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre, is equipped with a digital projector. 

“Smaller objects such as asteroids, comets and even meteoroids can be showcased in this new hybrid projection system imported from Germany,” sources from the technology centre said. 

The present digital system is about three decades old. The hybrid system, which has synchronising software, can also showcase these objects in the solar system much bigger so that students will be able to understand its structure. 

On installation, the system would enable projecting the Sun, Moon, not less than 18 bright stars, 12 zodiacal constellations, 26 constellations, Jovian planets and Saturn rings with two satellites. The platform on which the projector is mounted would now rotate 360 degrees with planetarium elevator system. 

The new system can use the drag and drop facility to include images, 3D models, videos or audio files into the show manager, without need to write any programming scripts. Dome view will immediately display these actions. 

The hybrid projection system will allow the user to fly a camera through remote to within any specified distance and land the camera at any location on any solar system body or exoplanet. Once it lands, the system will allow the user to fly the camera once again to other locations. 

In addition to this facility, the Science and Technology Centre will also install latest 250 pushback chairs at the planetarium. “Earlier the viewer has to lift his chin little bid to see the show. Now the pushback seats will solve the problem,” sources added elated about the new look the planetarium will have after all the renovation works are completed.