Immersed in 37,500 sqm of the green of the public gardens, the PLANETARIUM OF RAVENNA is located just behind the Mar – Ravenna Art Museum since its inauguration in 1985.
With a dome of 8 metres in diameter and 56 seats, it hosts conferences, workshops and themed educational laboratories.
In the summer evenings, the planetarium also hosts special meetings to observe the sky through a telescope (both by day and by night) from the above the terrace.
After all, Ravenna’s adoration for astronomy has ancient origins – just think about the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, with its magnificent mosaic vault decorated with stars in the deep blue sky.
The beating heart of the planetarium is the ZKP 2 Zeiss projector. This machine is able to project an artificial image of the sky, as it is with the unaided eye under the best environmental conditions.
This projector allows visitors to see more than six thousand stars divided into two hemispheres, from the Cassiopeia to the Crux constellation, not to mention the five planets known since Antiquity—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn —and much, much more.
The visit to the planetarium is very popular with pupils and teachers alike, because astronomy can easily connect with other subjects, such as literature, history, physics, geography, mythology and poetry.
Furthermore, the planetarium hosts various events that combine the charm of the stars to music, theatre and performing art.
