THE HYBRID PLANETARIUM SYSTEM COMPRISES AN OPTICAL-MECHANICAL PLANETARIUM PROJECTOR, THE ZEISS SKYMASTER ZKP 4 WITH LED ILLUMINATION, AND A DIGITAL VIDEO SYSTEM, THE ZEISS POWERDOME VELVET //// SUCCESSFUL REOPENING OF THE BENGALURU’S JAWAHARLAL NEHRU PLANETARIUM

On 17 January Siddaramaiah, the Minister of the Indian state of Karnataka, inaugurated the Jawaharlal Nehru planetarium in Bangalore after extensive renovation work. ZEISS was in charge of the technological overhaul and provided assistance as an experienced advisor during reconstruction work on the dome. The hybrid planetarium system comprises an optical-mechanical planetarium projector, the ZEISS SKYMASTER ZKP 4 with LED illumination, and a digital video system, the ZEISS powerdome VELVET, for all projection needs on the planetarium’s dome. “Today, we are fulfilling our long-cherished wish of allowing visitors to see the universe with all its brilliant and contrast-rich images thanks to the ZEISS projectors,” said Pramod Galgali, Director of the Planetarium, at the inauguration.
“Like in Bangalore, many planetariums opt to combine a star projector with digital video projection in order to make the most of both technologies – the brilliance of optical stars and the versatility of digital projections – for their presentations,” said Dr. Martin Wiechmann, Head of the Planetariums business unit at ZEISS.
The technical overhaul in collaboration with ZEISS also included the reconstruction of the planetarium theater, the newly built projection dome, the surround sound system and the integrated dome lighting.
In a business partnership spanning almost 30 years, Wiechmann notes that a collaboration fueled by cooperation and friendship has developed between ZEISS and the planetarium in Bangalore. This collaboration is supported in particular by the Indian representative office ORBIT Animate.