Planetarium

The Planetarium of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, located on the Heysel Plateau, close to the Atomium, is a didactic tool for the general public, in particular for a younger audience. 45.000 visitors, including many school groups, come annually to the Planetarium.

As location for encounters and discoveries, The Planetarium hosts many events (Exhibits, conferences, astronomical events, Concerts, Meetings with astronauts, …) which highlight the activities of the institutes forming the Space Pole ( Obs, IRM, IAS) located in Uccle.

The Planetarium is one of the oldest ( inaugurated in 1935 for the Brussels International Exposition) and one of the largest ( 23m dome, 350 seats) planetariums of Europe, thus an integral part of Belgian Heritage. The public now benefits from a totally reconfigured projection room, equipped with advanced technology composed of eight projectors covering completely the 23 meter dome. The visitors are thus immersed into an impressive 840 square meter image, furthermore with its astronomical database of more than 100.000 stars it becomes possible to travel from Planet to Planet, even flying over the surface of one, or admire the Earth as seen from Space.