Facilities

The Planetarium has three main areas: the foyer, the lecture theatre and the Zeiss projector room.

The foyer is a feast of information with posters and displays describing everything from the earliest telescopes to current research in particle physics. Have a go at landing on the Moon with our interactive computer simulation. Do you have the right stuff?

The lecture theatre can seat fifty comfortably. Students groups of sixty or more can make ample use of the floor for extra seating. For larger groups, the sliding doors can be opened and seating provided for eighty, all with direct views of the stage. The entire front wall of the theatre is a screen and with surround sound, our video and DVD presentations really come to life. The Sputnik model is built exactly to scale and has been the starting point for many interesting discussions with our visitors.

The main attraction is the Zeiss planetarium projector. A planetarium recreates a moving picture of the night sky. The stars and planets can be viewed at any time, day or night, rain or shine. The projector sits beneath a fiberglass dome, six meters in diameter. Once the lights have dimmed, over 3000 stars can be viewed on the dome's interior along with the Moon, the planets, the Milky Way and other wondrous sights. Your presenter will take you on a tour of the night sky, as it will appear in the evening on the day of your visit.

The building is completely wheelchair accessible, including the toilet facilities. The kitchen is fully equipped and ready for use with private bookings and special events.