Aiming for the stars

The audience watches the panoramic view under the dome of the planetarium . Pics/Atul Kamble

Walk through the doors of the Nehru Planetarium, Worli, and the slightly annoyed visage of a Florentine scientist greets you. Galileo Galilei is at the heart of the iconic Planetarium's reset plans post-pandemic. Aptly so, for planetarium director, Arvind Paranjpye, is a self-confessed fan of the 16th century astronomer and holds him in high regard.

On April 30, the planetarium reopened its doors to visitors for regular shows following the hiatus of a two-year long pandemic. We walk through the entrance experiencing the buzz of excited children bombarding tired parents with questions as they wait for the show to start. Paranjpye believes this enthusiasm has to be nurtured. "Here, we tell children you must ask questions. We also tell them, if we don't know the answer, we will find out and get back to you."

A new turn

For the last two years, the institution was in a state of uncertain flux. The old projectors had already started to show the wear of time, and the lockdown made it difficult to acquire the upgrades. The director recalled the struggle to secure technicians from Germany to install the new laser-ray projectors. When the lockdown was lifted in 2021, they moved quickly to start the installation. But it ran into a roadblock when one technician was suspected of contracting COVID-19, shutting down the entire process, Paranjpye reveals.

An excited audience takes turns posing after the show

Look upwards

Now, the two laser-ray projectors lead the revamp. With sharper images, brighter colours and a more immersive experience, the shows offer enough awe, even for the adults. Manager Kiran Hedukar explains that just two of the new laser projectors are sufficient to offer 100 times the sharpness of the previous five projectors.

As we join the many young kids accompanied by equally awestruck parents, the director's words do strike true. "The immersive feeling you get in a planetarium cannot be replicated on your phone or laptop," he tells us. From within the dome, the instructor fast-forwards the Mumbai sky to reveal the hidden stars of Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus the bull and bright Sirius, the Dog Star. The crowd oohs and aahs as the constellations fill the room with their shapes and sizes.

Nehru Planetarium, Worli. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Then, of course, there is Galileo Galilei. The inventor is the starting point of the new show, Biography of the Universe, which tracks the journey of our universe from its birth. But not every child wowed by the show will turn to astronomy, Paranjpye (inset) says. "This is edutainment. We try to give them as much as possible," he explains, "But if you want to have a career in astrophysics, the path is very different and very difficult." Don't expect to grow proficient in astronomy just because you understand Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, he warns us.

Sky's the limit

It is not all entertainment. There are also plans to introduce a pure astronomy course to draw in interested students, Paranjpye revealed. These ideas,stemmed from his experience in the outreach program at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Pune. While they cannot keep track of the students that may drop out, they are keen to nurture this interest for the stars.

Arvind Paranjpye

It may not be a virtual exploration of space, and a generation that is addicted to digital reality may not always be drawn to it. Yet, the Nehru Planetarium is steadily moving towards change, just as Galilei famously said, "E Pur Si Muove" (Italian: It still moves).

On Tuesday to Sunday (Mondays shut)
Time 11.30 am to 6 pm
Entry Rs 100 (adults and children above five years)
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