The vastness of space and questions about what is ‘out there’ have fascinated mankind since time immemorial – and the interest has only grown as mankind has begun to explore through probes, space telescopes and walking on the moon. With so much being discovered at present, from robots exploring the Martian surface to the discovery of planets around distant stars, the Brno Observatory and Planetarium is an exciting place to visit – and one where anyone can greatly expand their knowledge of the cosmos.
The centre’s public visitor facilities consist of the Dignitarium, the Exploratarium, the Astronomical Observation Point, the Small Planetarium and the Observation Deck. The Dignitarium consists of a large overhead screen that puts on shows about space and the universe, but also other aspects of nature, such as ocean life. The Exploratarium is an area full of interactive displays and the Astronomical Observation Point contains real telescopes to use for a look up at the stars and planets, with optical equipment strong enough to show details of the moon’s craters, or Saturn’s rings. While more shows about the cosmos are on display in the Small Planetarium, the Observation Deck offers the best vista of the night sky as seen from this part of the Czech Republic.
Shows, displays and written material are available in English and German as well as Czech, so it should all be easy enough to follow as visitors learn their quarks from their quasars, their red giants from their red shift and their black holes from their brown dwarfs. In addition to these facilities, the Foyer is also well worth seeing. It has a bookshop and displays a magnificent picture of a constellation where a star exploded 11 thousand years ago. By spending a few hours at the centre, all but the most astronomically knowledgeable will see their understanding of the universe expand greatly. Of course, many questions will remain, like just how much more is out there to be discovered? What is dark matter? And are we alone? But the fact that after finding out so much there are so many more questions just goes to show why places like the Brno Observatory are such fascinating places to visit.
