experimenta Science Museum Opens in Heilbronn

ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM in the Science Dome enhances events

JENA/Germany, HEILBRONN/Germany | 02. April 2019 | Planetariums

Heilbronn. A ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM Model IX projects a realistic night sky onto the museum's Science Dome.

Spread out over 25,000 square meters, experimenta is a unique and innovative learning space for visitors young and old with numerous hands-on exhibits and opportunities to explore.

The "Worlds to Discover" exhibition space housed in the futuristic new building is divided into four separate areas that focus on day-to-day objects and events, human perception, the physical world and experiments. The Science Dome – a unique combination of both a planetarium and theater – promises to become one of the main attractions at the new science center. Visitors are invited to dive into strange new worlds and see things like never before. The Science Dome is equipped with premium multimedia and theater technology. Even in a world already so profoundly shaped by different media, this space creates an especially lively atmosphere with wind and fog machines, a water curtain, the latest laser technology and the specially equipped ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM Model IX star projector. The moving auditorium is another distinctive feature: by rotating 180°, the audience sees either a high-tech night sky or a stage.

Even the star projector designed for the 21.5 m dome is the first of its kind. "Modern LED light sources make the stars appear like pinpricks in the night sky. The projector is the first in this series with motorized apertures for dimming the stars on the sloped edge of the dome. It works in tandem with multiple digital planetarium systems. It not only can be retracted, but even rotates, if needed, in the opposite direction of the moving auditorium – a one-of-a-kind setup in the world of planetariums," says Martin Kraus, Head of ZEISS Planetariums.

The planetarium opened to the public on 31 March.

Press Contact

Gudrun Vogel
Jena Site
Phone: +49 3641 64-2770
gudrun .vogel @zeiss .com

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 5.8 billion euros in its four segments Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (status: 30 September 2018).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future far beyond the optics and optoelectronics industries. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership.

With approximately 30,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 60 of its own sales and service companies, more than 30 production sites and around 25 development sites. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

Press Contact

Gudrun Vogel
Jena Site
Phone: +49 3641 64-2770
gudrun .vogel @zeiss .com

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