Reopening ZEI Planetarium in Stuttgart (Germany): the Carl-Zei-Planetarium in Stuttgart (Germany) Reopens Following Complete Modernization

JENA/Germany, STUTTGART/Germany, 22.04.2016.

Following an extensive modernization, the Stuttgart Planetarium in southwestern Germany will reopen to the public on 23 April. ZEISS equipped the facility with digital projectors developed specially for the dome projection system. "The new full-dome projection equipment sets a new technical benchmark in Germany and beyond," says Dr. Martin Wiechmann, Head of the Planetarium Division at ZEISS. In the future, this system will be used to project films in ultra high resolution onto the 600 m surface of the dome. The new VELVET projection system creates images with 24 million pixels many times more than a digital movie projector. "With this new setup, the Carl Zeiss Planetarium is now one of the most cutting-edge planetariums in Europe", says Dr. Uwe Lemmer, Director of the planetarium. It is now possible to present shows on science, culture and entertainment which appeal to contemporary audiences. "Visitors will broaden their horizons: they will be able e.g. to take a virtual flight through the universe, explore the secrets of nature and travel to fantasy worlds", adds Lemmer. "The reopening is also a very special moment for me," continues Wiechmann. "The Stuttgart Planetarium profoundly influenced my chosen course of studies and my career. With this new technology, things are possible which no one would have dreamed of when I was still in school. This is a place where science and entertainment meet to produce something great."

According to Wiechmann, modern planetariums appeal to contemporary audiences because they experience the projected images in full 360 . At the Stuttgart Planetarium, new high-performance projectors from the ZEISS VELVET series ensure that visitors can dive into virtual worlds. The accom-panying software links the video projectors with the existing star projector from ZEISS. The projector, often called a star ball, creates an artificial starry sky its just like viewing the sky from the worlds best observation sites. While the stars shine on the dome as if they were the real thing, the digital ZEISS VELVET projectors superimpose e.g. constellations and cosmic nebulae on the positions specified by the star projectors. The ZEISS VELVET projectors guarantee the worlds highest contrast. While residual light always generates a gray haze in standard projectors, ZEISS projectors prevent all stray light and deliver absolute black and therefore exceptionally brilliant colors. The ZEISS DIGIGON lenses developed and manufactured specially for the dome projector also ensure outstanding image quality.

The first planetarium in Stuttgart opened in 1928 and was destroyed by aircraft bombs in 1943. The current planetarium in Stuttgart is located in the middle of the Castle Gardens and also opened on 22 April, albeit in 1977.

In 1988 it was renamed the Carl-Zeiss-Planetarium to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the company founder and entrepreneur Carl Zeiss (1816-1888). In 2001 the ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM Model IX projector with modern computer control and glass fiber optics replaced its dumbbell-shaped predecessor. It remains the top-of-the-line model for planetarium projectors. The control software for the ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM projector was updated during the modernization, making it possible for this educational and cultural establishment to use the projector in its astronomy programs for many years to come. With as many as 200,000 visitors per year including many school children the Stuttgart Planetarium has long been one of the worlds most frequented planetariums. The reopening of the Carl-Zeiss-Planetarium in Stuttgart coincides with the 200th birthday of the planetariums namesake.

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Following an extensive modernization, the Stuttgart Planetarium in southwestern Germany will reopen to the public on 23 April with ZEISS equipment.

Press contact:

Gudrun Vogel

Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH

Phone: +49 3641 64-2770

Fax: +49 3641 64-2941

gudrun.vogel@zeiss.com

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries. The ZEISS Group develops and distributes semiconductor manufacturing equipment, measuring technology, microscopes, medical technology, eyeglass lenses, camera and cine lenses, binoculars and planetarium technology. With its solutions, the company constantly advances the world of optics and helps shape technological progress. ZEISS is divided up into the four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Research & Quality Technology, Medical Technology, and Vision Care/Consumer Optics. ZEISS is represented in over 40 countries and operates more than 30 production sites, over 50 sales and service locations and about 25 research and development facilities. In fiscal year 2014/15 the company generated revenue approximating 4.5 billion with around 25,000 employees. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Carl Zeiss AG is the strategic management holding company that manages the ZEISS Group. The company is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).

Further information at www.zeiss.com

Consumer Optics

The Consumer Optics business group combines the companys business with camera and movie lenses, binoculars, spotting scopes, hunting optics and planetarium technology. It is represented at the Oberkochen, Wetzlar and Jena sites. The business group is allocated to the Vision Care/Consumer Optics segment. In fiscal year 2014/15 the segment generated revenue of 1.007 billion with around 9,100 employees

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