Planetaria in South Africa

The Iziko: Planetarium is located within the Iziko: South African Museum in Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town. It is equipped with a Minolta Series IV projector and seats 140 people. Contact: (021 481 3900).

The Johannesburg Planetarium is situated in the grounds of the University of the Witwatersrand. It is equipped with a Zeiss projector and has seating for more than 400 persons. Contact: (011 717 1392).

The Museum of Science and Technology – Pretoria (012 322 6406) and the Unizul Science Centre in Richards Bay (035 797 3204) each operate a Starlab inflatable planetarium.

The Naval Hill Planetarium in the Franklin Game Reserve, Bloemfontein, opened in November 2013. It is the first digital planetarium in sub-Saharan Africa and is managed by the University of the Free State in partnership with the Mangaung Metro Municipality and the Free State Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. The auditorium, seating 80 adults, is integrated with the 86-year-old Lamont-Hussey Observatory. The 12-metre projection screen is complemented by a powerful sound system and multiple data projectors. Contact: Prof M J H Hoffman (051 401-2924) [ HoffmaMJ.SCIufs.ac.za ].

Sutherland Planetarium is located in the center of Sutherland en route to the Southern African Large Telescope. It is the latest and only privately owned digital planetarium in South Africa. It is equipped with a Fulldome Pro DX4 system running four projectors. The projection dome is fitted with a Dolby Atmos 7.1 sound system. The planetarium seats 31 persons. Shows are presented seven days a week with a wide range of full-dome films to ensure entertainment for the whole family. Contact: Alta (076 909 8635) [ www.sutherlandplanetarium.co.za ]