History

Opening of the Planetarium, 1968
​​​​​​​

The history of the Dnipro Planetarium began in 1968. On the wave of astronomy popularity, a unique space of science was opened, and its technical capabilities allowed the audience to broaden their picture of the Universe. The starry sky, planets’ movement, celestial phenomena were demonstrated by the "Planetarium" device produced by Carl Zeiss Jena company, in the Star Theater on a 12-meters dome. Visitors could see the eclipse of the Sun and all phases of the Moon for the first time and listen to the ancient legends related to the constellations.

Dnipro Planetarium after opening, 1969

In the 1970s and 1980s, lecturers did not have computers yet, let alone free access to the Internet, so they looked for information in books and directories in the Planetarium space library.
​​​​​​​
In the Star Theater of the Planetarium, the virtual Universe was reproduced, and nearby, in the yard, you could look through a telescope at the celestial bodies. 

In the 1980s, none of the cosmic phenomena avoided the attention of astronomy enthusiasts! Amateur astronomy became the hallmark of the Planetarium. Back in the early 1980s, the Planetarium lecturers organized the "Orion" astronomy club for high school students. Later, it grew into an amateur astro club. Although its participants could observe celestial bodies only through small telescopes, they regularly visited the scientific observatories of Ukraine — Crimea, Kharkiv, Odesa — where they could see the work of astronomers.
​​​​​​​
In the early 2000s, the first computers appeared, so it became much easier for lecturers to select the necessary material and create video presentations. It allowed them to expand the variety of shows and adapt them for different age groups.
​​​​​​​
And in 2008, the Planetarium was lucky to meet the first cosmonaut of independent Ukraine — Leonid Kadeniuk!

Leonid Kadenyuk, the first cosmonaut of independent Ukraine, in the Dnipro Planetarium, 2008​​​​​​​

Leonid Kadenyuk, the first cosmonaut of independent Ukraine, in the Dnipro Planetarium, 2008​​​​​​​

The renewed Planetarium is waiting to meet you! With our fantastic transformations, we have become even closer to the stars, so join us to explore the universe and create new pages of Dnipro's cosmic history!​​​​​​​