City planetarium set for trial operation
The Shanghai Astronomy Museum is set to start trial operation in June.
The Shanghai Astronomy Museum in Pudong’s Lingang is set to start trial operation in June.
When completed, it will be the largest planetarium in the world with a gross floor area of 38,164 square meters.
Construction began in November 2016, and 90 percent of the work, including preset exhibition preparations, has been completed. At present, light and sound effects are being tested.
The planetarium is designed like a giant astronomical instrument that can track time based on changes in light and shadow. It can also display China’s solar terms, created by ancient Chinese based on the changes in the sun's position.
The museum will offer unprecedented experiences backed by AI, AR and VR technology, and introduce visitors to cutting-edge research.
The planetarium has collected about 70 meteorites from the Moon, Mars and other planets. It also has more than 120 pieces of cultural relics such as original publications of legendary scientists Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler as well as historic celestial atlases.
