Opening: First VELVET System from ZEI in Sou America

JENA/Germany, 19.12.2013.

The large planetarium in Santiago de Chile featuring new ZEISS technology opens its doors to the public on 21 December 2013. As part of the facilitys modernization initiative, eight VELVET projectors from ZEISS were installed for fulldome projection. The projectors were developed at ZEISS specially for fulldome projection, and deliver brilliant and razor-sharp images onto the 600 m surface area of the 20 meter dome. This is the first VELVET System from ZEISS in South America. Haydee Domic, Director of the planetarium, was pleasantly surprised: "The image quality even exceeds the comparable systems that Ive seen in Germany." The digital dome projection system supplements the night sky projection of the Model VI opto-mechanical planetarium projector from ZEISS. This projector has been serving reliably since the planetarium opened in 1985, and was given a full service as part of the modernization initiative.

By facilitating the presentation of additional images, VELVET enables the offering on the planetariums program to be expanded. At a ratio of 2,500,000:1, this digital system offers the highest projector contrast in the world. Viewers experience images almost as realistically as in nature. Planets and moons appear three-dimensional. Thanks to the pitch black background, the infinite expanses of space are brought within the viewers grasp. "In terms of image quality, our VELVET projection systems are unrivaled. The secret is in the huge contrast, which not only enables the simulation of the immeasurable depth of space, but also intensifies sharpness," explains Wilfried Lang, Vice President of the Planetariums strategic business unit at ZEISS.

The planetarium projector and digital projection are connected through the "powerdome" computer system. This means that the video projection system can superimpose constellations and many other objects onto the projected night sky without impairing its brilliance. The almost 300-seater planetarium was established by the University of Santiago. It is located on the university campus and is used primarily for educational purposes. Together with the digital projection system, ZEISS installed three family-oriented planetarium shows which were produced in the US and Switzerland. For live presentations, the planetarium can use a special software which enables the the entire observable part of space to be simulated. The most modern telescopes in the world are located in Chile. They are now joined by one of the most modern planetariums.

Eight VELVET projectors from ZEISS supplement the Model VI projector from ZEISS in the planetarium at the University of Santiago de Chile.

Gudrun Vogel

Carl Zeiss

Corporate Communications

Jena Site

Phone: +49 3641 64-2770

Fax: +49 3641 64-2941

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gudrun.vogel@zeiss.com Number: 0169-2013-ENG PL

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