New digital full dome planetarium opens 1 April

14th March 2008
Media Release - Stardome Observatory

Stardome Observatory’s new digital full dome planetarium opens its doors on 1st April 2008

Imagine a theatre where all the sights and sounds occur around you with unbelievable realism...A theatre where you can lie back in comfort and look up into a 360° dome as you are immersed in breathtaking images and where you are absorbed in surround sound...A theatre where we can take you on an incredible journey through space and out into the Universe…

Don’t imagine it, experience it…. It’s your ticket to the Universe. Stardome Observatory is reopening its doors to the public on Tuesday 1st April with a brand new full dome digital theatre.

Craig Garner CEO at Stardome Observatory says ‘Full dome is exceptionally dynamic in the way that high definition images and sound are delivered to the screen. The immersive experience is like nothing you would have seen before. The environment is all encompassing, delivering a truly striking and memorable voyage into space’.

This upgrade will mean Stardome Observatory will be leading the way in Planetarium technology globally. The system comprises of an Evans and Sutherland Digistar 3 system using powerful graphics hardware and software to generate immersive full-dome images on the interior surface of the planetarium dome. This allows us to integrate all-dome video, real time 3D computer graphics, and a complete digital astronomy package.
The images are created through two Sony SXRD projectors which provide around 13 million pixels on the screen with exceptional brightness and a wide color gamut, providing audiences with image quality that exceeds 35 mm film projection. The projectors were designed for digital cinema applications and utilize the latest advances in display technology.

Craig goes on to say ‘We have a fantastic new line up of shows and programmes which we know are going to be a great hit with all ages. Apart from the preformatted shows we also have at our fingertips the entire known Universe mapped in a 3D environment. We no longer just have to sit here on Earth and look up, we can take you out to the far reaches of space’.

Stardome’s upgrade has been made possible through funding provided by ASB Community Trust, The Lion Foundation and Auckland City Council.

For more information on what is coming up at Stardome Observatory visit their website www.stardome.org.nz

Stardome Observatory is located in One Tree Hill Domain Auckland.

ENDS

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