Planetarium in India Features ZEISS Technology

Jena/Germany, Ranchi/India | 10 October 2019 | Planetariums

On 4 October 2019, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Jharkhand, Raghubar Das, inaugurated a new planetarium in the state capital Ranchi. ZEISS equipped the dome theater, which measures 15 meters in diameter, with hybrid planetarium technology comprising a ZEISS SKYMASTER ZKP 4 opto-mechanical planetarium projector and a digital dome projection system. Five high-resolution laser projectors deliver the video images, while the joint controls developed by ZEISS for both projection systems enable the dynamic overlaps of didactic image information and the brilliant artificial night sky achieved by the ZEISS ZKP 4. LED light sources ensure a clear night sky that can otherwise only be viewed high up in the mountains. This is an ideal way to inspire visitors to find out more about astronomy and the natural sciences. The ZEISS video projection system generates a dome image that measures 80 square meters and can present impressive astronomical and other content.

“We are delighted to be able to equip another planetarium in India with state-of-the-art technology from ZEISS,” says Martin Kraus, Head of ZEISS Planetariums. “In India, people attach great value to education. It’s a way of investing in the nation’s future. Today’s planetarium visitors include future Indian scientists as well as astronauts and leaders.”

ZEISS designed and planned the technical features of the new planetarium in collaboration with Indian company Orbit Animate. It also supplied the projection dome, sound technology and the dome effect lighting.

The planetarium was built by the Jharkhand Council on Science and Technology and was named after Varahamihira, a 6th century Indian astronomer, philosopher and mathematician. More than 1,000 people visited the planetarium on the day it opened. “This was my first visit to a planetarium. It was incredible – I felt like I could fly through the universe and walk on other planets,” says Suman Kumari, one of the first visitors.

The daily shows in the Varahamihira Planetarium are dedicated to a variety of popular scientific topics.