What is a planetarium? Planetarium in Moscow. Observatory of the Moscow Planetarium

Do you know what a planetarium is? Perhaps, yes, but most likely not all, so carefully read the materials of the article. Planetarium is an optical device, which is necessary for the projection of images of stars, planets, sun and other celestial bodies. In this case, the brightness, position and trajectory of movement are observed . He can reproduce a picture of the sky, seen from any point of the Earth, both in the past and the future. Such a mini-time machine. This device is necessary for astronomers to conduct research, but it is also very popular with ordinary people who are interested in the riddles of the universe. Speaking of what a planetarium is, people often mean the room itself with a hemispherical dome, where this device is installed and working, or the whole building.

History of creation

It goes back to the ancient world, the first instruments for the study of the stellar galaxy are dated around 6th century BC. People at that time did not yet know what a planetarium was, but they were already trying to create a model of the universe and to track the patterns that exist in it. For example, the philosopher Anaximander, who lived before Socrates, invented a celestial globe where images of celestial bodies were applied to its surface. Later this device was repeatedly developed by different scientists, but they were united by one drawback: they represented the sky viewed from the outside.

He tried to correct the German scientists under the leadership of A. Olearius, in 1650. They proposed a model of the huge Gottorp globe, within which several people could immediately observe the location of celestial bodies. In parallel, there was no less rapid development of devices that calculated their movement. Finally, in 1855, the learned world learned what a planetarium was. Miller suggested using the inner surface of the sphere to project images of celestial bodies onto it. The size, brightness and position of the stars were similar to what you could see without using optics (which had not yet been) in the sky. The picture was presented in dynamics, that is, it demonstrated daily movement.

Modern realities

Today much has changed. We have powerful telescopes, satellites, which can continuously broadcast a star sky in close proximity. It is these data that are recorded, and then broadcast to the dome. This creates a powerful illusion of being in the open. In addition, modern technology allows you to add to the impression of musical and narrative records, as well as special effects. So the planetariums turned into real theaters, which not only train, but also give the opportunity to experience an extraordinary adventure.

Planetarium in Moscow

They are rightfully proud of Russia. It is the oldest in our country and is known all over the world because of its enormous size. His work has always been highly appreciated by scientists. He makes a great contribution to the training of specialists and makes it possible to conduct a variety of studies.

The Planetarium in Moscow deserves close attention not only among people associated with science. Ordinary visitors are here much more often, because nowhere else will you see the stars so close. Today a whole cycle of entertaining and educational excursions has been created, which will be of interest to both adults and children. Here there is the Great Star Hall, the Urania taxa, the interactive "Lunarium". In addition, there are two tower-observatories, a 4D cinema and a small starry hall. This is enough to enjoy the mysterious flickering of distant stars and get new knowledge about our galaxy.

Museum of Urania

This museum will be more interesting for adults. In fact, this chronicles the development of astronomy. Under the ceiling are the models of ships, and along the walls are exhibited vehicles that previously lit an artificial sky in these walls. It will be interesting to look at the first instruments with which we used to shoot a movie about the cosmos. You will be able to view the globe of the constellations and the layout of Venus. On the walls hang photographs of the moon, nebulae, constellations. Also here there is a space rock stand on which you can view a variety of meteorites.

The Great Star Hall

This is both a cinema and an extraordinary museum. Going inside, you see a huge dome (diameter 25 meters) and a lot of seats. In the center is the apparatus itself, the real pride of the local astronomers, the projector of the last generation. It is thanks to him that you will be able to fly into the unknown worlds. Further, visitors are asked to move the chairs to a horizontal position, and under the dome stars begin to light up. The program consists of two parts, the first introduces the starry sky, the main constellations, nebulae, comets. The second is an exciting journey to another world, one of the full-dome films: "Space Collision", "Black Holes", "Amazing Telescope", "Journey to the Stars". The image under the dome is complemented by special effects and sound.

Observatory of the Moscow Planetarium

Usually they come here after visiting the Great Star Hall. For this you have to go down to the second level of the museum and go straight to the Sky Park. This is also a kind of museum, exhibits of which relate to the following sections: classical and ancient astronomy. On the site you can see Stonehenge, a globe of stunning dimensions and several models of almost forgotten sundials.

Next, your path will lie in one of the two towers. This is a large and small observatory of the Moscow Planetarium. They are located on the territory of the astroploschadka, among a copy of Stonehenge, pyramids and sunny hours. These are two-storey single-dome buildings. On the second floor, in a spacious building, is a 300-millimeter telescope. It is a survey tube on a thick leg. For its work, the dome opens in the right direction. The design allows it to open at any desired degree, so that the observations are very convenient. Be sure to go here if you decide to visit the planetarium. The Observatory leaves the brightest impressions.

The last room is "Lunarium"

More precisely, these are two halls. They clearly demonstrate what a planetarium is for children. Here are the instruments familiar to us from the lessons of physics, they help visually to see the various phenomena of nature. Everything can be touched, twisted, swung. For example, you can pump the air out of the flask, create a vacuum and see how the ball will fly in it. Several guides work here, explaining the operation of instruments and phenomena, and also tell us about the peculiarities of our solar system. There are devices that demonstrate plasma or a journey of dry ice. And the main attraction is the simulator, where you can practice the skills of connecting the ship with the space station. In the lower hall you will find a huge number of very interesting devices.

Studying the starry sky at home

To do this, today there are various devices that are called "home planetarium." They are of different size, power and functional load. But the principle they have is a projector that transmits to the ceiling an image of the starry sky. The simplest models are rather nightlights, but an additional function is the projection of the star image. The more expensive the model, the more images it can reproduce. Imagine how wonderful it is to lie in the evening with your child and imagine that you are going on a trip, for example, to the Andromeda nebula. Books with fairy tales will not be needed for long, because you can each write your own, and a home planetarium will help you.

A real planetarium in your city

Not everyone was lucky enough to live in a city where there is such a wonderful object. Therefore, a mobile planetarium was created. This remarkable invention will revive the boring lessons of astronomy, make them vivid and colorful. It represents an inflatable dome, which is easy to install in the assembly hall. Inside it on the mats are children, and magic begins. On the inner surface you will see the projection of the celestial bodies. Demonstration of films occurs using visual and audio effects. Information is presented in an accessible form, there are tapes adapted for children from 3 to 18 years. These classes are very different from the usual school lesson or reading the material of the textbooks. This is an opportunity to survive a space flight alive.