While it seems safe to say that visiting a planetarium was a favorite childhood activity for many people, time spent gazing into a star-filled microcosmic world is also a fantastic experience for fun-seeking grownups.
In 2008, 400 years after Galileo Galilei first looked into outer space with his tiny self-made telescope in 1609, an exciting cutting-edge planetarium, featuring a super high precision 3D image system that covers the entire sky and provides viewers with actual physical sensations, opened its doors for the first time in Japan.
Led by Director and former astronaut Mamoru Mohri, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo's Koto-ku introduced Atmos, a high precision 3D image system with an all-sky view. This is only the second venue in the world to offer this system following the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii and is the first in Japan. Starting in January at its popular Dome Theater GAIA, visitors can enjoy a planetarium program that uses digital 3D images created using state-of-the-art technology.
Although several dome-type 3D image systems can already be found in Japan, Miraikan is the only place in the country to offer, in addition to its all-sky view, extraordinarily-detailed images with a resolution equivalent to eight times full HD. The 5 million stars projected by the MEGASTAR-II cosmos, officially recognized as the world's most advanced planetarium projector by Guinness World Records, wonderfully recreates cosmic space more realistically than ever before.
Miraikan's opening program using the newly-introduced Atmos is themed "Birthday: What Links Myself to the Universe," featuring simulated 3D images based on the latest scientific data provided by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's 4D2U (Four Dimensional Digital Universe) space project.
With the simple yet grand theme of "what the universe is like and how we are linked to it," the presentation will take you on a journey that moves from the Earth out into the solar system, then on to the galaxy and on into the universe, allowing you to witness the birth of these systems. It is a story that explores the link that exists between the universe and us.
Two types of programs are available, specifically the "Live Program," in which a live commentary is provided by a Miraikan science communicator and the "Auto Program," which offers a pre-recorded story told by an actor.
The program's special 3D glasses also allow you to feel the heightened intensity of the endless universe. With its exceptional facilities that include a stereophonic audio system and reclining seats, the cutting-edge Dome Theater GAIA offers both children and adults alike with a pleasurable opportunity to learn about the latest astronomical discoveries.
The program is designed to present both scientific knowledge and a thorough physical sense of the grandiose nature of the universe, as portrayed in unprecedented quality by Atmos, a system attracting increasing attention not only in Japan but also around the world. This program is sure to offer you with a thrilling, one-of-a-kind experience far beyond what you may have encountered at any other planetarium.
the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)
