THE Shanghai Astronomy Museum, the world’s largest planetarium in terms of building scale, will open to the public Sunday. Covering an area of approximately 58,600 square meters, the museum is located in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lingang Special Area. It is a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. From above, the museum resembles two connected planetary orbits, with an 8K ultra-high definition spherical theater sitting on one side and an inverted spherical dome on the other. The futuristic building will feature three main exhibitions — “Home,” “Universe” and “Odyssey” — displaying astronomical knowledge, theories about the universe, and the history and current status of human exploration of space. Collections including some 70 meteorites including those from the Moon, Mars and Vesta, as well as over 120 collections of artifacts, including original works of Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler, will be on display. Technologies such as data visualization, augmented reality, virtual reality and biometrics have been introduced to help visitors gain knowledge of astronomy and science through interaction. Xin Ge, deputy director of the museum, said the museum will organize stargazing and sun observation activities as it has a 1-meter telescope that is the biggest among astronomy museums in China, and a 65-centimeter solar telescope.(Xinhua) | 