Safe to say this isn’t the Scienceworks that you remember from when you were a kid. Sure, you can still race Cathy Freeman, but Scienceworks is introducing a bunch of new interactive spaces, exhibitions and events to get everyone (not just kids) excited about science.
The Planetarium has always been a big drawcard for Scienceworks. This huge domed ceiling can replicate anything from the night sky to outer space, coral reefs and even black holes. Earlier this year the Planetarium temporarily closed for a technical revamp, which saw $1.2 million go into a visual system upgrade.
Following the upgrade, there is now state-of-the-art LED strip lighting and a new six-projector system, which means the screen will be three times brighter, with 36 million pixels on the dome. According to Warik Lawrance, the Planetarium’s digital production designer: "This new software will bring a huge range of new features, including dome casting, video capture, and a cloud library with access to hundreds of thousands of astronomical objects, to create a powerful and much more versatile system.”
You'll be able to see the new screen in action at the Planetarium’s latest full-dome show, Moonbase One.