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A planetarium projector like the ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM IX in Vienna stands in the middle of the auditorium.
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So close to the sky

4 February 2025 3 min read

Planetariums bring us closer to the infinite vastness of space. More than 100 years ago, ZEISS presented the world’s first optomechanical star projector, inspiring young and old alike. The technology has evolved but the fascination for looking into infinity has endured.

  • 100 years of

    Zeiss Planetariums
  • The first planetarium projector.
    1923
    1923

    The first planetarium projector

    shows the northern night sky over Munich.

  • Modell II
    1926
    1926

    Model II

    could display the starry sky regardless of its position.

  • Projector model V
    1953 - 1977
    1953 - 1977

    Plan to develop projector

    models III, IV, V, VI for
    large planetariums.

  • Spacemaster RFP
    1967
    1967

    Spacemaster RFP

    was the first to enable realistic space flight effects.

  • Skymaster ZKP 2
    1977
    1977

    Skymaster ZKP 2

    could present shows in an automated way using perforated cards.

  • Cosmorama
    1987
    1987

    Cosmorama

    is the name of the first planetarium projector controlled by a computer.

  • M1015
    1987
    1987

    M1015

    practical projector especially for medium-sized domes.

  • Stellarium
    1987
    1987

    Stellarium

    is the first projector using fiber optics.

  • Universarium MK VIII/IX
    1996
    1996

    Universarium MK VIII/IX

    is ZEISS’ most powerful planetarium system.

  • First digital fulldome projection systems
    2000
    2000

    First digital fulldome projection systems

    the digital transition is being ushered in. Digital projectors gain in significance versus optomechanical projectors.

  • 2005
    2005

    ZKP 4 Hybrid

    First combination of fiber glass and digital projection.

  • VELVET LED
    2008
    2008

    VELVET

    Digital projector with a particularly high contrast ratio.

  • ZKP 4 LED
    2011
    2011

    ZKP 4 LED

    uses LED light sources.

  • UNIVIEW
    2018
    2018

    UNIVIEW

    ZEISS manages the control software independently.

  • ASTERION
    2021
    2021

    ASTERION

    Compact projector for medium-sized dome.

  • 2023
    2023

    ASTERION Premium

    complete system containing both a planetarium projector and digital projectors.

Dr. Hannes Richter designs and presents shows at the Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna.

Dr. Hannes Richter designs and presents shows at the Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna.

Even after the presentation in the planetarium of the Vienna Adult Education Center, the big children’s eyes are still in awe. “Is the room spinning?” You need a little time to get back to the here and now. Moments like these show Dr. Hannes Richter that he is in exactly the right job. The qualified astrophysicist designs and presents shows at the Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna’s Prater Park. He gives his audience a view of our starry sky, the Milky Way and the infinity of space. He whisks visitors away to another world of space and time. “Thanks to our ZEISS projection technology, we are able to create such a natural presentation that the audience immerses itself in our shows and is captivated by the fascination and beauty of the universe,” explains Richter. He is not just interested in the universe, but also in science. Richter both enjoys and takes his educational mission from the Vienna Adult Education Center to which the planetarium belongs very seriously. He finds it fulfilling when he develops new shows for the planetarium with his colleagues using the latest scientific findings and then makes more than just children’s eyes light up.

Projection planetariums

ZEISS has played an enormous part in making shows like these possible today. Walther Bauersfeld, engineer at ZEISS, designed the first projection planetarium in the world along with his team. Here, celestial bodies appear as spots of light on the ceiling of a dome that spans the auditorium like a canopy. In 1923, Bauersfeld presented his projector to a small internal circle at the Deutsches Museum in Munich with overwhelming success. In 1925, the first public planetarium was opened there. Since then, everyone has been able to take an uninterrupted look at celestial bodies.

Martin Kraus still enjoys going to the planetarium even as Head of ZEISS Planetariums.

Martin Kraus still enjoys going to the planetarium even as Head of ZEISS Planetariums.

Martin Kraus, Head of ZEISS Planetariums is particularly proud of this. He says, “Thanks to our technology, people can see the starry sky in the planetarium more clearly than they can outside. There is no light pollution here. The many light sources of our civilization, some of which outshine the stars, do not interfere.” The particularly clear and precise image of the starry sky is made possible thanks to ZEISS star projectors. In the past, apertures in particular ensured that tiny spots of light were projected into the planetarium’s dome. Modern devices conduct LED light via glass fibers thinner than a human hair (see also: Extraordinary jobs, page 42). ZEISS technology makes 7,000 to 9,000 spots of light shine in this way. “In a dome with a diameter of 23 meters, we can image tiny stars of 0.7 millimeters,” says Kraus, highlighting the precision of ZEISS projectors. Their particular advantage is they only bring light to the planetarium sky where a star should appear.

Combining technologies

Combining technologies ZEISS has not only shaped the fascination of the planetarium with the central projector: digitalization (at ZEISS) has been making its own way for some time now. On the one hand, special digital projectors supplement the spots of light from the central star projectors. They have been developed in such a way that they disturb the darkness in the planetarium as little as possible. They can be used, for example, to project images of star forming regions and videos from the International Space Station (ISS) into the starry sky. On the other hand, ZEISS also supplies the software that regulates the interaction of all the projectors.

The Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna has been offering stargazing for more than 60 years.

The Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna has been offering stargazing for more than 60 years.

Hannes Richter at the Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna greatly appreciates the ZEISS UNIVIEW software. It is perhaps the most important tool he uses when developing new shows in Vienna. In order to always be able to offer something new, he regularly comes up with stories he can show and tell his audience.

He focuses on regular events where there are lots of shooting stars, or links celestial events up with special days such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween or New Year’s Eve. The Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna is not only a place to learn about the heavens, but also for earthly celebrations. There are special offers for children’s birthdays. Proposals of marriage have also been made in the Zeiss Planetarium in Vienna as part of the show. A romantic setting under a clear, breathtaking starry sky.