Kapteyn Astronomical Institute starts using mobile planetarium

The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, the department of astronomy at the University of Groningen, will start using a new mobile planetarium this February. This planetarium will be used for education of the general public and school children, at large public events and during shows at schools in the (northern) Netherlands.

The planetarium consists of an inflatable dome, 3.5 meters in height and 6 meters in diameter. It uses digital planetarium software which during live shows shows the starry nightsky 'full dome' in HD-quality on the inside of the dome, using a special projector. The movement of celestial objects can be simulated and you can zoom in on special objects in the universe, like planets in the solar system and exotic sources like supernovas and quasars, far away in the universe. Because the projection is on the entire dome, visitors will feel immersed in a real universe.

Schools can use their 'Culture card' budget for a day of the planetarium at their schools. The dome can hold up to thirty children, about a whole class at a time. The planetarium fits (in a few suitcases) in a regular car en can be set up and broken down within 45 minutes.

The national information and education center of Dutch astronomy in Amsterdam has taken an identical planetarium into use. The planetarium in Groningen was purchased as part of the Academic Year Prize for Science Communication that the team of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences won in 2008.