India's first LED dome planetarium comes up in Mysuru

Mysuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium, India's first LED Dome planetarium, marking a significant advancement in planetarium technology and astronomy education in the country.

Built by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), the state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by PM Modi, who cut the ribbon at the entrance of the building. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Governor Sudha Yadav, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Following the inauguration, Sitharaman briefed PM Modi on the planetarium's features while taking him on a tour of the facility. The Prime Minister later visited the 'Sky Theatre', where he sat and watched a show along with the other dignitaries. He also interacted with experts, astronomers and space scientists from Ladakh. Envisaged as a centre for astronomy education and training, COSMOS-Mysuru is located on the University of Mysore campus, at the foothills of Chamundi Hills. The facility features a 15-metre tilted dome comprising around 6,150 panels with 4.2 crore individual LEDs.

Unlike conventional planetariums, which use projectors to display images on a passive dome, the LED panels at COSMOS-Mysuru can be controlled in real time, providing an immersive visual experience and opening up new possibilities for astronomy education.

The Sky Theatre will screen professionally produced astronomy programmes, along with an in-house film exploring the connection between the history of Mysuru and astronomy. The shows will be available in Kannada, English and Hindi. The centre will also house exhibition halls, a museum featuring astronomy models and artefacts, a lecture hall, a training centre and interactive outdoor exhibits.

The activities of COSMOS-Mysuru will complement the research undertaken by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, including the operation of multi-wavelength telescope facilities across India and in space, the development of future astronomical facilities and national-level outreach programmes.

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The Hans India