London Planetarium

London Planetarium was a popular tourist attraction located in London, United Kingdom, near Madame Tussauds and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The planetarium was known for its interactive exhibitions and shows, which featured NASA's Apollo missions, International Space Station, and European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. Visitors could also explore the Universe, learning about black holes, nebulae, and galaxies, including the Milky Way. The planetarium was a favorite among astronomy enthusiasts, including Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

● History

The London Planetarium was opened in 1958 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with the first show featuring a Zeiss planetarium projector. The planetarium was built during the post-war period, a time of great scientific discovery, with Sputnik 1 being launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, and NASA being established in 1958. The planetarium's early years coincided with the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, with notable events including the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission, Vostok 1, and the Apollo 11 moon landing. The planetarium also hosted lectures by renowned astronomers, such as Fred Hoyle, Arthur C. Clarke, and Patrick Moore.

● Architecture

The London Planetarium building was designed by Architects' Co-Partnership, with a distinctive dome-shaped auditorium, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The building's design was influenced by the Bauhaus movement, with a focus on functionalism and minimalism. The planetarium's interior featured a Zeiss planetarium projector, which was used to project star fields, planets, and other astronomical objects onto the dome. The building was also home to the British Interplanetary Society, founded by Arthur C. Clarke, and the Royal Astronomical Society, which hosted lectures and events at the planetarium.

● Exhibitions

The London Planetarium featured a range of interactive exhibitions, including a scale model of the Solar System, a space suit worn by astronauts on the International Space Station, and a collection of meteorites from around the world, including the Sikhote-Alin meteorite and the Murchison meteorite. Visitors could also explore a mock-up of the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, and learn about the history of space exploration, from the Montgolfier brothers to the Curiosity rover. The planetarium also hosted temporary exhibitions, featuring artwork by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and René Magritte, as well as photography exhibitions by Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell.

● Planetarium Shows

The London Planetarium offered a range of planetarium shows, featuring narration by Patrick Stewart, Morgan Freeman, and Whoopi Goldberg. The shows covered a range of topics, from the formation of the Universe to the search for extraterrestrial life, and featured visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital. The planetarium also hosted live shows, featuring astronomers such as Brian Cox and Dara O'Briain, and musical performances by Brian Eno and Kraftwerk. The shows were accompanied by a soundtrack featuring music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach.

● Closure and Legacy

The London Planetarium closed its doors in 2006, after nearly 50 years of operation, due to declining attendance and increasing competition from other attractions in London, such as the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. The planetarium's closure was met with sadness from the astronomy community, including Brian May, Queen (band)'s lead guitarist, who had performed at the planetarium in the 1990s. The planetarium's legacy lives on, however, with many of its exhibitions and shows being relocated to other museums and planetariums around the world, including the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. and the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne. The planetarium's archives are now housed at the University of London's Senate House Library, and its collection of astronomical objects is on display at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Category:Planetariums