BM Birla Planetarium, Chennai Overview

Housed in Periyar Science and Technology Center in Kotturpuram is the infamous and large Birla Planetarium, known for its virtual tours of the night sky as well as for hosting regular cosmic shows in the inner spherical shaped dome composed of aluminium. Birla Planetarium in Chennai had been founded around 30 years ago, yet it considered to be one of the most modern planetariums in the country, serving as a popular place for school trips in Chennai and a wonderful place for stargazing and exploring the galleries and parks.

The planetarium was established in 1983 and fondly associated with B M Birla, who was a great Indian industrialist and visionary. Although established in 1983, the planetarium was inaugurated on 11 May 1988 by R Venkataraman, the then President of India. Today, the Government of Tamil Nadu backs up the functioning of the planetarium.

Exhibits at BM Birla Planetarium

The popular exhibits at the Birla Planetarium are Solar System, Cycle of Stars, Sky and Seasons, Comets, Man on the Moon, etc. Other exhibits include DRDO Pavilion which was set on the planetarium campus by DRDO in collaboration with TNSTC (Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Center). The pavilion is aimed to exhibit the accomplishments of DRDO in its 50 labs across the nation in the fields of aeronautics, electronics, instrumentation etc. The exhibit includes models of guns naval systems, historical developments of guns, scale down model of Brahmos 1.3, a supersonic cruise missile, specialized clothing designed by DRDO used by Indian soldiers deployed at Siachen Glacier to survive the freezing temperatures, and many more.

3D Shows

Visual sky shows are conducted every day at specific timings in different languages. These shows cover the topics such as sky and seasons, eclipses, earth, moon, comets, shooting meteoroids and stellar cycles. As many as 35 auto-visual programs on the aforementioned topics are conducted, explaining the important aspects of astronomy and different cosmic phenomena. The program themes are usually changed every 3 months. Every Saturday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, a special show on night sky observation is conducted.

Features of Birla Planetarium in Chennai

1. The planetarium exhibits the scientific developments on its multipurpose GOTO GM II starfield projector which is an accompanying special effects projector and an X-Y table system to simulate celestial phenomena.
2. The GM II projector is used to execute the diurnal, annual, latitudinal and precessional motions.
3. The planetarium has an air-conditioned theatre with a seating capacity of 236 people.
4. There are seminar rooms and classrooms where significant names from the field of astronomy carry out lectures and seminars.
5. The planetarium is equipped with a DLP projector.
6. There is a circumferential hall of fame displaying portraits and statues of famous scientists such as Neil Armstrong, Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla. There are photographs of various heavenly bodies as well as models of celestial phenomena and space missions.

Tips

1. Apart from walking around the center and attending exhibitions, you can even visit the parks in the area which are quite scenic.
2. For children visiting the Planetarium, there are toy cars operated by automatic electronic signal systems.

How To Reach Birla Planetarium Chennai

You can find a bus, taxi or auto rickshaw easily to reach Birla Planetarium in Chennai. The Kotturpuram bus stop lies 2 kms to the North of the planetarium. The nearest railway stations are Kotturpuram MRTS and Kasturba Nagar MRTS, both 1 km away from the planetarium.