NEWS Leave the planet for a moment and come along on a three-dimensional space journey. This will be possible in Umeå on the 8th of September when the science centre Umevatoriet in Umeå officially opens its new digital planetarium.
“In our old planetarium, our visitors remained seated in their chairs on the ground and observed outer space. In this new planetarium we can take our spectators on a virtual tour throughout the universe. For instance, we can land on Mars or the Moon, and observe our planet from those viewpoints. It will also be possible to visit other galaxies and the outer limits of the universe,” says Tommy Jonsson, who is the project manager for Umevatoriet’s Virtual Worlds (UVIV).
The image resolution and sharpness is vastly improved, and one will be able to see millions of stars instead or merely thousands. The audio experience will be dramatically enhanced with a 5.1 channel Dolby surround sound system. Another advantage is that the staff at Umevatoriet can program their own exhibitions, custom-made for different audiences. The Planetarium is also dovetailed with European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA's servers, making it possible to view images from the latest cutting-edge research.
“This new planetarium allows Umevatoriet to be top-ranked in Sweden. We will be able to impart knowledge in an interactive and exciting way," says Tommy Jonsson.
The advent of Umevatoriet’s new digital planetarium has been made possible by the project Umevatoriet’s Virtual Worlds (UVIV – Umeavatoriets virtuella världar). The objective of UVIV is to enhance the public interest in science and technology, especially among children and adolescents. This will be achieved through the creation of attractions, applications and work processes that increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of Umevatoriet. UVIV is partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund and linked to Umevatoriet. Other co-financiers are Umeå University, Umeå Municipality, Västerbotten County Council, County Board of Västerbotten, Västerbotten Region, Oryx Algoryx AB and AB.
Journalists are welcome to attend the ceremonial opening.
Time: Tuesday 8 September, 2:00 pm
Place: Umevatoriet, hus (building) 56, Umestans företagspark (business park) in Umeå.
Umevatoriet has open hours for the general public on Tuesdays between 7:00 and 10:00 pm, as well as group reservations on Thursday evenings.
For further information, please contact:Tommy Jonsson, Project Manager, UVIVPhone: + 46 (0)70-2467919
E-mail: tommy.jonsson@physics.umu.se
Annika Kjellsson-Lind, Head of Operations, UmevatorietPhone: +46 (0)90-786 69 32
E-mail: annika.kjellsson-lind@matnv.umu.se
Editor: Karin Wikman