Heavens of Copernicus to open in Warsaw
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
17.06.2011 12:43
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Copernicus Heavens - Around Poland - 13.06.2011
Trips to selected planets of the Solar System, a visit to the Milky Way and an opportunity to see the sky illuminated with twenty million stars - these are some of the attractions of the Planetarium which will open at the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw this Sunday.
Copernicus Science Center, photo:PAP
Called “The Heavens of Copernicus”, it is one of the most modern astronomical facilities for visitors in Europe.
The Planetarium has a dome measuring 16 metres in diameter and can accomodate 146 visitors. It includes a stellar spherical projector shaped like a ball cut in half.
The only such screen in Poland composed of a hundred elements and weighing over three tons, it surrounds the audience on all sides to give visitors an illusion of being immersed in reality.
According to Robert Firmhofer, the head of the Copernicus Science Center, the main aim of the Planetarium is to show visitors not only images of the starry sky without any light pollution, but also related films.
From the outset, there will be six shows available from the field of astronomy, natural science and ethnography. They include “Tales of the Maya Skies”, “Black Holes - Journey Into the Unknown” and “Natural Selection” about the history of the theory of evolution of living organisms.
A special concert called “The Heavens of Sounds” has been prepared for the Grand Opening of the Planetarium. It will feature an improvised performance of the Polish jazz star Urszula Dudziak who will be accompanied by her own band – Superband, as well as by Atom String Quartet and live electronics performer Dariusz Makaruk. (di/jb)