10 MOST BEAUTIFUL PLANETARIUMS ON THE PLANET NOW

HAYDEN PLANETARIUM -- NEW YORK, NEW YORK

The Hayden Planetarium, in New York, boasts the world’s largest cosmic atlas. This beautiful planetarium sphere is nestled inside of The Rose Center for Earth and Space, a part of the famed Museum of Natural History.

Astrophysics superstar, Neil deGrasse Tyson, heads up the programs here. Learn about the universe in the Astronomy Live series. The Museum’s stimulating Frontiers Series includes a lineup of talks from scientists who are doing groundbreaking research in their field.

ATHENS PLANETARIUM -- ATHENS, GREECE

The magnificent Athens Planetarium in Athens, Greece, is one of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced digital planetariums on this planet. Its 950 square meter hemispherical dome can take you on a fantastic 3D trip through the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond.

BRISTOL PLANETARIUM -- BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM

Bristol Planetarium is a spectacular mirrored, chrome-plated dome. It is the UK’s first 3D Planetarium. This new scientific haven offers mind-blowing educational shows that will trick you into believing, if only momentarily, that you’re an astronaut exploring the depths of space.

FROST PLANETARIUM -- MIAMI, FLORIDA

Learning will be more beautiful than ever at the new Frost Planetarium, in Miami, Florida. The educational programs will also provide the opportunity to both investigate optics with laser technology, as well as learn how to develop a planetarium show.

You’ll want to stroll by at night, when the exterior of the building will feature the latest images of the planets from space.

FLEISCHMANN ATMOSPHERIUM PLANETARIUM -- RENO, NEVADA

The Fleischmann Atmospherium Planetarium, in Reno, Nevada, was the first planetarium in the United States to offer a 360-degree projector that provides horizon-to-horizon images. It uses time-lapse photography to show an entire day’s weather in minutes.

The planetarium’s uniquely shaped building, a hyperbolic paraboloid, was designed by famed Reno architect Raymond M. Hellmann, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

L’HEMISFÉRIC -- VALENCIA, SPAIN

L’Hemisféric, in Valencia, Spain, resembles a giant eye. It is referred to as the “eye of knowledge.” Its design resembles an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding water pool.

The bottom of the pool is glass, creating the illusion of the eye as a whole. It opens to reveal the dome, the "iris" of the eye, which is the Ominax theater. There is a very cool echo inside of the building. If two people stay on the two opposite pillars inside of the eye, they can seamlessly speak with each other.

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY -- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Learn about both classical celestial mythology and outer space at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.

The ceiling and frescoes in the W.M. Keck Foundation Central Rotunda feature Hugo Ballin murals, painted in 1934. They include images of Atlas, the four winds, the planets as gods, and the 12 zodiac constellations.

NAGOYA CITY SCIENCE MUSEUM -- NAGOYA, JAPAN

The beautiful Nagoya City Science Museum, in Nagoya, Japan, houses the largest planetarium in the world. If that wasn’t reason enough to visit, the museum also offers hands-on exhibits and touch-screen tables as part of its educational programming.

HAMBURG PLANETARIUM -- HAMBURG, GERMANY

The planetarium projector was invented in 1923. It is still used in planetariums around the world. This modern egg-shaped Zeiss projector is used at the Hamburg Planetarium, in Hamburg, Germany.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Emmanuel Iarussi. Planetario de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Galileo Galilei Planetarium. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2. Image: by Martin Romero. Planetario Galileo Galilei, Ciudad de Buenos Aires.
3. Image: by Ralph Hockens. Rose Center. Hayden Planetarium. New York, USA.
4. Image: Courtesy of The Eugenides Foundation. Dome of the Athens Planetarium. Athens Planetarium. Athens, Greece.
5. Image: by Andrew Gustar. Reflecting on Life. Bristol Planetarium. Bristol, England.
6. Image: Courtesy of The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. The Frost Planetarium. Miami, Florida.
7. Image: by University of Nevada, Reno. Exploding Universe. Fleischmann Planetarium & Science Center. Reno, Nevada.
8. Image: by Diliff. L'Hemisfèric, City of Arts and Sciences. Valencia, Spain.
9. Image: by Justin Donais for Friends of the Observatory. Courtesy of Griffith Observatory. Hugo Ballin Murals. Griffith Observatory. Los Angeles, California.
10. Image: by inefekt6. Planetarium. Nagoya City Science Museum Planetarium. Nagoya, Japan.
11. Image: by Pudding4brains. Zeiss Projector at Hamburg Planetarium. Hamburg Planetarium. Hamburg, Germany.
12. Image: Courtesy of Zeiss. Zeiss Universarium Model IX.
13. Image: by Matt Buck. The At- Bristol Planetarium in Millennium Square. Bristol Planetarium. Bristol, England.
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: by Alfred Gracombe. Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History in New York City.