Joburg Planetarium transformed into modern facility

Snow in KwaZulu-Natal
Neeshan Balton
A general view of heavy snowfall on a road to Harrismith from Sterkfontein dam on September 21, 2024. 
 
Large parts of the country have experienced a substantial drop in temperatures and heavy rain.
JOHANNESBURG – Johannesburg’s 62-year-old Planetarium is being transformed into a world-class digital research, training and science engagement facility.
It will become the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, providing access to a cutting-edge 360-degree visual experience.
READ: To infinity and beyond: New Iziko Planetarium brings space to Earth
According to the Director of the Wits Centre for Astrophysics, the centre will not offer new perspectives on the universe, but also offer a multi-dimensional, cross-disciplinary approach to research.
“You’re now able to launch into the universe. You’re able to go into orbit around other planets and perhaps see what the stars look like from there,” said Roger Deane.
“We do these incredible simulations, of all these things at the moment and we’ve got amazing telescopes that are capturing data that just give us a completely transformed view of the universe compared to when these first analogue star projectors were designed about 100 years ago.”