Dome structures are a perfect fit for building a planetarium. Viewers will be immersed in a stunning show of stars, planets, and other astronomical phenomena thanks to your proprietary Projection liner. Your planetarium dome can be used for both educational and entertainment purposes.

What’s a Fixed Planetarium Dome?

As the name suggests, a fixed planetarium dome is immovable. The outer surface of a fixed planetarium projection dome projector is often covered because it is protected by an envelope/shell, which is normally made of brick and mortar. This envelope/shell is normally constructed from an architectural standpoint to have a fitting epic ambiance for a fixed planetarium.

The envelope does not have to be built like a dome. For the ambiance of the envelope, decision-makers could pick from a variety of choices available today in cost-effective aluminum composite panels (ACP). In addition, the ACP building takes less time.

What’s a Mobile Planetarium Dome?

Fabric with high tensile strength is used to make these compact mobile planetarium domes. They are wrinkle-free, opaque, and lightweight. They are made of a multi-layered cloth that is ideal for full-dome digital planetarium projection (no portion of the sky is missing). These mobile planetarium domes are designed to be used indoors. A vertical 6-foot zipper entry mechanism is used for entry and escape.

The dome’s inner projection surface is grey in color, which is ideal for night sky projection (contrast). A sturdy holding bag and a heavy-duty high-velocity commercial floor fan cum blower are included with the mobile planetarium dome.

How To Design a Planetarium Dome?

From an architectural and audiovisual standpoint, planetarium architecture is often mathematically complex. For several years, planetarium technology was nothing more than a pinhole projector.

The night sky could be cast on the dome above if the spherical projector, or “star ball,” was placed in the center of an in-the-round crowd. This served well for portraying the night sky as seen by an observer on Earth.

Some components of a planetarium dome are:

Dome Screen

The stars and other scenes are projected onto the surface of a planetarium dome projector, which may be a full or partial hemisphere, in a planetarium. Permanent domes are made up of millions of tiny holes in specially shaped aluminum sheets. The holes allow unrestricted sound and airflow to the audience.

The color on the sheets is carefully calibrated to the projectors that would be used with it. A ribbed structure precisely supports the perforated boards, resulting in a nearly-perfect “seamless” dome.

The consistency of the dome screen has a significant impact on the audience’s perception, so careful consideration must be given to its architecture and construction.

Seating

In a planetarium, the viewer would be able to see the whole dome above, whether it is inclined or level. To stop neck pain, the seats should be at least partially reclining and equipped with a headrest.

The front rows are more reclined than the back rows. Seat backs can be tilted anywhere from 20deg to 45 deg, based on dome location and angle. Fixed backs or flexible angle seats are also available.

Theatre Lighting

The dome theater’s dim and immersive setting makes it perfect for dramatic lighting. Though bright work lights are required for cleaning and repair, dim aisle and step lighting are required for safety and protection.

The theater can be bathed in vibrant colors thanks to lights installed in the cove. Planetariums were among the first to use controllable LED lighting, and they continue to advance the technology forward. Thousands of bright colors are created by mixing red, green, and blue LEDs, and animated flipping of parts of cove lights will generate anything from sunset on Mars to a lightning storm over city suburbs.

In conclusion, there are many other technical and ready-made components of a planetarium dome like the audio system used for the sound effects, the Opto-mechanical projector that projects the stars, the hybrid console that controls everything, and necessities like air-conditioning and fire safety.

The clients are provided 3D simulations and designs of a planetarium dome before making a deal.. In addition to aesthetics, dome companies also consider sightlines, ingress/egress integration, ADA standards, acoustic treatments, and accessibility.