Swami Vivekananda Planetarium
, also called
Pilikula Planetarium
,
[3]
at
Pilikula Nisargadhama
in
Mangalore
is the first
3D
planetarium
in India. It is also only such planetarium in the country with hybrid modern technology innovations coupled with 3D technology of
8K
digital and opto-mechanical (hybrid) projection system. It is a part of the Pilikula Nisargadhama (covering an area of 370 acres (150 ha)), which is also named Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park. It is planned and built to provide the best learning experience for students and enthusiasts on
Zodiacal
system of planets. Its creation is attributed to Pilikula Regional Science Centre.
History
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]
Swami Vivekananda Planetarium is the first state-of-the-art 3D planetarium in India. It was initiated in 2013 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of
Swami Vivekananda
by the then chief minister of Karnataka,
Jagadish Shettar
, who had laid the foundation stone to build it in two years at a cost of
?
35.69
crore
(US$4.3 million). However, the project overran its schedule completion, and the planetarium could be opened only on 1 March 2018. It was set up with grants from KSTePS (Karnataka Science and Technology Promotion Society) of the
Karnataka government
. The planetarium's objective is intended to give the viewers (students in particular and the public) to see the stars and planetary systems in the universe.
[4]
[5]
[6]
Its creation is attributed to Pilikula Regional Science Centre.
[7]
The planetarium was planned and established as the first planetarium in the country with
8K
digital and opto-mechanical (hybrid) projection system.
[8]
Five technical persons were initially sent to
Utah
, US, for training to operate the planetarium. The planetarium also has a provision of
?
1.5 crore
(US$180,000) for annual maintenance.
[2]
Technical specifications
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The planetarium has a dome diameter of 18 m (59 ft) and a seating capacity of 170; the seats can be tilted by 15 degrees to enhance the viewing experience of the audience. It has a
Megastar IIA
optical projector integrated with digistar and active stereo 3D 8K digital planetarium system manufactured in US by
Evans & Sutherland
Computer Corporation. The projected 3 dimensional images on the screen are a part of a new level of full dome innovation.
[2]
[4]
[9]
The 32 lenses of the 8K ultra-bright LED-based projector, from Ohira Tech Japan, is said to be capable of beaming "20 million stars uniformly and seamlessly over the nano-seam panels of the dome, thereby avoiding the overlapping of projected visuals."
[9]
Programmes
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The planetarium was inaugurated on 1 March 2018 and started the first public show on 2 March 2018. Eight shows are held daily with each show lasting 25 minutes. Some of the 3D shows screened are
We are stars
,
Dawn of the space age
and
Mysteries of the unseen world
.
[4]
[10]
The shows cover space technology, planets, nature, environment science, history and geography, which are presented in
English
,
Hindi
and
Kannada
.
[4]
[3]
The first inaugural show screened was
We are stars
which covers the story of space of billions of years from the time of the
Big Bang
to the modern day.
[4]
Access
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]
The planetarium is located at the Pilikula Regional Science Centre at Moodushedde, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) away from Mangalore.
[11]
which is well connected by road, rail, and air services with the rest of the country.
Mangalore railway station
, in the city centre, is connected to the major cities including
Chennai
,
Mumbai
and
New Delhi
.
Mangalore International Airport
is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the city centre. By road, it is 350 kilometres (220 mi) west of
Bangalore
, the capital of Karnataka.
[12]
Gallery
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See also
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References
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]