The first public presentation of a planetarium projection took place in October 1923, and the first permanent planetarium opened to the public in May 1925. The upcoming 100th anniversary of these events, the Planetarium Centennial, is a unique opportunity to highlight what planetariums are offering today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S12sVyL1AE
The Armagh Observatory, founded in 1789 by Archbishop Richard Robinson, is a modern scientific research institute with a rich heritage. The Planetarium was opened in 1968 through the efforts of Director Eric Lindsay and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. It is the longest running planetarium in the British Isles. An icon of the space age when inaugurated, the 12-metre diameter Dome has witnessed the development of planetarium technology over the past half century. Initially equipped with a ‘star ball’ Goto Mars projector, Armagh then pioneered the introduction of the video revolution into planetariums in the 1970s. Today, Armagh Planetarium is equipped with a state-of-the art digital projector system providing an immersive experience under the full dome. In the Planetarium’s Digital Full Dome Theatre, you can sit back, relax and experience the wonders of our Universe. Take a tour of the night sky and discover how our scientific research has impacted the field of astronomy.
Inishowen Maritime Museum & Planetarium is located at the Old Coast Guard station over looking Greencastle Harbour on the banks of the beautiful Lough Foyle. It is situated beside the Lough Foyle ferry entrance; this passenger/car ferry service runs between Greencastle and Magilligan, Co. Derry. The museum was opened 1995 and five years later in 2000 the planetarium was added with a dome of 6 metres and a capacity of 35 seats.
Schull Planetarium, part of the local Community College, is the only Planetarium in the Republic of Ireland and provides a unique educational resource. On the Planetarium’s 8 metre dome, the Carl Zeiss single sphere sky projector shows an accurate representation of the night sky from anywhere in the northern hemisphere. Located in the seaside village of Schull in West Cork, the 70 seat Planetarium has a beautiful situation beside the harbour and in the shadow of Mount Gabriel. The Planetarium came to be built in Schull due to the largesse of the late Herr Josef Menke, a German industrialist with a keen interest in astronomy and was opened on the 9th of March 1989, by the then President of Ireland, Dr. Patrick Hillary. It has since provided a sterling service to local and visiting astronomers, as well as people who just want to learn a little about the night sky.
