Shanghai Astronomical Museum, the largest planetarium in the world, has been officially opened. The museum covers an area of about 58.600 square meters and is located in a specially designed area of China's experimental Lingang Free Trade Area. It is a branch of the Shanghai Museum of Science and Technology (SSTM). The museum presents innovative architecture, exhibition spaces with various themes, captivating technologies and valuable collections.
From the air, the main building of the museum looks like a super bowl of astronomical instruments with a round skylight, an inverted spherical dome and a dome theater. As with the sundial mechanism, the light spot on the earth changes when sunlight enters the round hatch and will be the perfect circle at noon, on the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
Sihe Tower and Wansh Tower, named after the symbols of the sun and moon in ancient Chinese mythology, stand as satellites of the main building. During the day, visitors can observe the sun through an educational solar telescope with adaptive optics in the Sihe Tower and see images of sunspots and high-resolution sunlight. At night, China's double-meter telescope, the largest in China in terms of aperture, allows visitors to the Wansh Tower to enjoy views of the moon, planets and celestial bodies from deep space.
The Astronomical Museum in Shanghai, the largest planetarium in the world, has been officially opened.
The opening of the Shanghai Astronomical Museum is an important step in the efforts to promote science, as Shanghai now has museums of nature, modern technology and astronomy. By taking a tour of the main house, visitors can get a complete picture of the universe at three themed exhibitions, including "The House", "Space" and "The Odyssey". Many other institutions are dedicated to topics such as the history of Chinese astronomical research, the study of Mars and the promotion of science among children.
The dome cinema has an 8K spherical projection system, an advanced laser system and a stage system where visitors can enjoy a show of the latest advances in astronomy. The museum's exhibits include about 70 meteorites from the Moon, Mars and Vesta, as well as over 120 artifact collections, such as the works of Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei and Johann Kepler. Among the museum's over 300 exhibits, interactive exhibits account for more than 50%. Technologies such as data visualization, augmented reality, virtual reality and biometric technologies help visitors gain astronomical and scientific knowledge through interaction.
According to him, it is important to build a planetarium that promotes astronomical knowledge and supports the education of young people in this field. China has witnessed a fever of science fiction and astronomy. In 2019, China's total science fiction output was 65.87 billion yuan ($ 10.17 billion), up 44.3% from the previous year. The box office of national science fiction films has doubled since 2018. 69% of young Chinese people recently surveyed by China Youth Daily find the spirit and achievements of space crew exploration in China encouraging and inspiring.