Italy: Rome reopens Planetarium after eight years

Rome: Rome’s Planetarium, which offers visitors an immersive astronomical experience, reopened to the public on Friday 22 April after being closed for the last eight years.

The Planetario, housed in the Museum of Roman Civilisation in the EUR district, was inaugurated by Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Thursday as part of events to celebrate the capital’s 2,775th birthday.

The newly-reopened planetarium, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a programme of interactive experiences for visitors of all ages, was described by Gualtieri as “a magical place to discover the wonders of the universe.”

The old optical projector has been replaced by the high-tech “Sky Explorer” offering 4K video resolution “capable of reconstructing the surface of the Earth, Moon and Mars with extreme realism”, as well as glimpses of distant galaxies.

The new planetarium can store a large amount of data and “carry out updates in real time”, allowing visitors to be informed about the news and latest discoveries from the international scientific community.

The interactive audio system also provides the chance to “discover the secrets and beauty of the universe” by admiring the “Earth from afar, flying over planets, nebulae and galaxies, and reliving fundamental events of space exploration and the most recent astronomy.”

The 300-sqm dome acts as a projection screen, offering an engaging vision of the cosmos with 98 reclining armchairs, arranged in three concentric rings, “enhancing the experience of immersive ‘travel’.”