THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 25-year-old GOTO dome and the star ship projector of the Priyadarshini planetarium has become a thing of the past now that the new Carl Zeiss dome and a new theatre that gives an IMAX viewing experience, have been installed.
The renovated planetarium which is part of the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM) will be officially opened to the public on August 5.
It would be the most advanced in South India and as good as a new one with every single inch being renovated, officials said.
“The old dome had to be booted each time with a floppy disk and the Japanese company had stopped the spare parts itself. However, with the new dome we will be able to give regular astronomy shows on star, constellation etc. There will be a digital show and full dome shows,” said State Science and Technology Museum director Arul Jerald Prakash.
The dome can give the experience of how the sky appears from each country. It can show how the sky would have appeared on a day a decade back or how it would appear on a day in the future.
“The visual tours to outer space will be as original as the real one. Almost everything barring the roof is new,” Mr Prakash said.
The renovation had cost over Rs 12 crore and hence the ticket prices have been doubled at Rs 60 for adults and Rs 30 for children.
