Residents will have to wait for another two months before the mini planetarium at SK Science Centre can come alive.
The German company, Carl Zeiss, is supposed to deliver digital projection system machines next month. According to officials at the SK Science Centre, engineers from the German company are supposed to arrive and install the machine, which would take at least two months.
The mini planetarium project is being developed by the SK Science Centre, which runs under the Union ministry of culture. The facility is one of the ambitious projects of the Centre and is estimated to cost Rs 5 crore.
"Officials of Carl Zeiss are supposed to come next month. After installing the machine, they would test it for 15-16 days, and open the mini planetarium for residents only after they are assured of its quality," said Swarup Mandal, the curator of SK Science Centre.
He went on to add that the mini planetarium would be very different from the existing Patna planetarium.
He said: "The Patna planetarium screens shows using conventional methods. However, the mini planetarium at SK Science Centre will have digital machines. The sound quality and the emerging experience of the mini planetarium would be much better than the existing Patna planetarium."
Officials of SK Science Centre said an innovation hub worth Rs 50 lakh would be inaugurated alongside the mini planetarium.
"We have brought all the machines for the innovation hub. It is situated on the ground floor of the building in which the mini planetarium is being developed," said Mandal, adding that the innovation hub would have and innovation resource centre, idea laboratory and innovation kiosk.
"While the innovation resource centre would have a library for referencing text books related to different topics of science and technology, computer and Internet facilities would be provided in the innovation resource centre. The idea laboratory would provide residents basic facilities to pursue creative and innovative activities. The innovative kiosks would showcase innovative ideas and products related to the field of science," added Mandal.