Reach for the stars at this 3D Hybrid Planetarium in Pilikula

If you love to watch the sky and wonder about the stars and the planets and want to unravel the mystery behind them, then head to Swami Vivekananda Active 3D Hybrid Planetarium at Pilikula, nine kilometres away from Mangaluru. The planetarium will be inaugurated on March 1 and will be open with its six daily shows for public from March 2.

The planetarium gives you information about the stars, the solar and planetary systems in the universe. The planetarium is not only an enriching experience, but also something one will cherish for a long time.

The planetarium with a dome of 18 metre diameter will have Megastar IIA optical projector and has been integrated with digistar and active stereo 3D 8K digital planetarium system of the US firm.

"The star projector with latest technology creates a beautiful and realistic star field along with the bright naked eye visible planets. The bright ultra-high resolution system extends the scope of creative and scientific programmes that can be presented and will offer audiences the first 3D full dome experience in India. The system uses active stereo 3D glasses for exceptional 3 dimensional images that leap off the screen, creating a whole new level of immersion, making it the first such planetarium in India," said MLA J R Lobo.

As a curtain raiser, "We are stars" was screened, which takes one on a journey through time and space to discover where we came from. It tells the story that spans billions of years between the Big Bang and modern day. It helps one to follow the thread that connects us all to those early times through the atoms from which our bodies were formed. It speaks of how the stars were born and life was created on the earth through the atoms.

The planetarium can accommodate 170 viewers at a time and a show is expected to last for 25 minutes. The theme of the shows will be based on space technology, planets, nature, environment science, history and geography in English, Kannada and Hindi. Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that the experts from US will arrive on Sunday to give a final touch to the planetarium before the inauguration. Even the seats will be tilted to 15 degree to give a full experience of the show. The shows at the planetarium can be booked online through BookMyShow, just like the way one books a movie ticket.

Further, he said that the district administration is planning to get children from at least two government schools once in a week and screen the shows to them. "This in turn will help to develop interest in astronomy and scientific temper. The contents will be added in the future," he said. The ticket fee is Rs 60 for adults and Rs 25 for kids. As a special package, Rs 100 ticket from March 1 will allow visitors to enjoy all the facilities including planetarium, at Pilikula Nisargadhama. Students, teachers and public who come for inauguration will be given free passes to be used for the next two days.