planetarium
1 of 1noun/ˌplænɪˈtɛriəm/
Forms:planetariums
1
a building with a dome in which moving images of planets, starts, and constellations are projected for educational or entertainment purposes
- The school field trip included a visit to the planetarium to learn about the solar system.
- We watched a fascinating documentary about black holes at the local planetarium.
- The planetarium offers nightly sky shows that are both educational and entertaining.
- The astronomer gave a lecture on exoplanets at the planetarium last weekend.
- Children were excited to see the planets up close at the planetarium’s interactive exhibit.
2
a device that simulates the motion and appearance of celestial objects such as planets, stars, and galaxies, typically using projectors and optical systems to depict the solar system and universe
- The planetarium displayed a detailed model of the solar system, showing the orbits of planets around the sun.
- Students used a tabletop planetarium to observe the phases of the moon and the positions of constellations.
- The portable planetarium brought astronomy education to schools, offering interactive lessons on galaxies and nebulae.
- Researchers developed a virtual reality planetarium for astronauts to train and navigate through space missions.
- The digital planetarium software allowed astronomers to visualize complex astronomical phenomena like supernovae and black holes.
3
an optical device for projecting images of celestial bodies and other astronomical phenomena onto the inner surface of a hemispherical dome