Alexandria's Planetarium revamps its gear
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Image via WikipediaBibliotheca Alexandrina reopened its planetarium doors after having equipped itself with a newly installed state of the art dome projection system and a set of stunning shows to go along with it. Having had only a small opening with no ceremonies earlier this month, a bigger ceremony is in the planning to take place in October.
With the new system running, the sea-side Bibliotheca and the Planetarium Science Center are now ready to jointly host the 20th International Planetarium Society conference in June, 2010.
The conference is one of the most anticipated events in planetarium circles worldwide and Egypt’s hosting of the next conference will bring some of the world’s top planetarians (planetarium experts) together to share insight and plan out the future of this fascinating field where science and theater meet.
Year after year, Bibliotheca Alexandrina is becoming a huge attraction for tourists visiting Alexandria due to both its beautiful architecture and its historic links to the legendary library of Hellenistic Alexandria.
“The Sky of Alexandria” is the first planetarium show in the Middle East which focused on the ancient Library of Alexandria, they are excited about the potential shows they will be able to create with the new software.
“Stars of the Pharaohs” is one of the shows currently displayed at the PSC which is centered on Ancient Egyptian astronomy. It answers questions like how much truth is there to claims that the Pharaohs’ monuments were observatories, possessed magical powers or were even built by aliens? How did the Egyptians see and use the stars, and what is their legacy to us?
“New Horizons” on the other hand is a show focusing on modern astronomical discoveries and insights. The show promises to take the viewer on an “expedition through the Solar System and into the realm of comets.” Its focus is one of exploration.
The PSC is currently displaying four general public showings everyday of the week, with the exception of Fridays, from 10 am to 2 pm Each show runs for about half an hour and a non-student ticket costs LE10-15 for Egyptians and LE25 for non-Egyptians.
Excerpted from an article by Youssef Faltas for IslamOnline
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