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Launceston Planetarium Dawn of the Space Age Dawn of the Space Age is a fascinating look at space history from the launch of the first artificial satellite in 1957 to the construction of the International Space Station and beyond. Included is a detailed coverage of the Apollo missions to the Moon, and features the original recordings of the astronauts' voices. What Happened to Pluto? What Happened to Pluto? is the Planetarium's first in-house digital production. This program tells the story of the discovery of Pluto and what we have learned about it—and why it was famously demoted from planetary status in 2006. A special feature of every show is the use of the Zeiss Projector to show the night sky as it currently appears over Tasmania, so that our audiences learn of the features to watch for in our night sky. The projector is capable of displaying the stars visible to the unaided eye from anywhere in the world, and simulates the apparent motion of the stars as the Earth rotates. The effect is so realistic, it is like being out under the stars! Tuesday to Friday 2.15 pm and 4.15 pm The show schedule will change from time to time, so we advise checking this web page for updates before your visit. Admission prices are: $5.00 for adults The Planetarium continues to respond to astronomical enquiries, and to keep the public informed of current astronomical news via Planetarium Manager Martin George’s weekly articles: >>read article 7 February Shuttles For Sale Who
was the Winner of the 2009 Grote Reber Medal?  Comet McNaught, the brightest comet for over 40 years, photographed near Launceston by Martin George on 22 January 2007. The Development of Planetaria The Launceston Planetarium uses a projector made by Zeiss. It is one of several thousand planetaria worldwide, but one of only six in Australia which are regularly open to the public. The world's first planetarium began operation in 1923 in Jena in Germany, using a projector built by Zeiss. Nowadays, there are several manufacturers of such projectors, still including Zeiss, which has updated its equipment many times. A modern planetarium uses not only the main projector but also a variety of equipment including a high-quality sound system, slide projectors and special effects projectors. Fun and Learning As well as providing shows for the general public, staff are also actively involved in encouraging school children of all ages to explore the science of astronomy. School programs are frequently presented, after which our astronomer conducts a question and answer session.  Back to top |
