es2501 — Organisation Release
100 Years in 100 Days
We are celebrating the centennial of the planetarium!
10 January 2025
Since the dawn of time, the starry night sky has fascinated people, but only recently the wonders of astronomy have become accessible to the general public. Last year, over 64,000 people visited the ESO Supernova and took a journey to the stars in the planetarium. The fact that these journeys are possible today is primarily due to the invention of the planetarium projector, which was first unveiled by the company Zeiss in Jena in October 1923. The first public planetarium opened its doors on 7 May, 1925, at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. 100 years later, there are more than 4,000 planetariums worldwide, including the ESO Supernova since 2018. Celebrate the planetarium's 100th birthday with us this year!
Under the slogan “100 Days of Planetarium”, we will show you a wide range of special shows and highlights until the 100th birthday of planetariums on 7 May 2025. Among other things, there will be a freely accessible, temporary special exhibition on the history of the planetarium in our Void. Another highlight is our new, longer opening hours every first Friday of the month and some special screenings of films that we will be showing exclusively during this period.
Our special programme begins with the film 100 Years of Eternity on Wednesday, 29 January at 18:30. To mark the centennial of the modern projection planetarium, this film takes you on a journey that begins with the early cultures of mankind and leads through an ever-changing view of the heavens to the modern star theater. The show costs 6,50 Euro per person and tickets can be booked online now.
During the special programme our public lectures, the popular Kosmisches Kino series and music events will show you the many ways in which planetariums can also be used. With a bit of luck, you could also have the chance to take a look behind the dome of the planetarium.
Further details of the special programme will be announced on 28 January 2025. Look forward to 100 eventful days for 100 years of the planetarium in the ESO Supernova!
More information
Centennial of the Planetarium
2023 marked the 100th anniversary of a great invention: the planetarium. In 1923, the Carl Zeiss company completed the first planetarium projector; in 1925, the first public projection planetarium opened in Munich. The International Planetarium Society (IPS), the Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Planetarien e.V. (GDP) and the Carl Zeiss Foundation are celebrating these events with the “Centennial of the Planetarium”.
About the GDP
The Society of Germanophone Planetariums e.V. (GDP) is an association of planetariums, their employees, and people interested in planetariums, mainly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also from other countries, with the aim to promote the cooperation of planetariums in German-speaking countries. The society was founded in May 2011 and is recognized as a non-profit organization.
About the IPS
The International Planetarium Society Inc. (IPS) is a worldwide association of planetarium experts with more than 600 members from 42 countries around the world. It represents schools, colleges and universities, museums, and public institutions of all sizes. The primary goal of the IPS is to promote the exchange of ideas among its members through conferences, publications, and networking.
About the Carl-Zeiss-Foundation
The Carl Zeiss Foundation has set itself the goal of creating scope for scientific breakthroughs. As a partner of excellent science, it supports both basic research and application-oriented research and teaching in the STEM disciplines (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology). Founded in 1889 by the physicist and mathematician Ernst Abbe, the Carl Zeiss Foundation is one of the oldest and largest private science-funding foundations in Germany. It is the sole owner of Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG. Its projects are financed by the dividend distributions of the two foundation companies.
Links
About the Release
| Release No.: | es2501 |
![Centennial of the Planetarium [key visual 2]](/static/archives/images/thumbs/100-planetarium-kv2.jpg)