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Melbourne Planetarium

Planetarium presentations will take place at the Melbourne Planetarium which is located within Scienceworks Museum. Scienceworks is a modern science and technology museum for all ages that specialises in an interactive, hands-on approach to science education. Since opening in 1992, over 4 million visitors have been encouraged to push, pull, spin and bang exhibits, with yearly visitations exceeding 370,000 people. In 2004, Scienceworks Museum and Melbourne Planetarium was admitted to the Victorian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame for winning their category of Significant Tourist Attraction for 3 years running (2002-2004).

In addition to the Melbourne Planetarium, Scienceworks encompasses the historic Spotswood Pumping Station - preserving the historic buildings and steam engine technology that powered the pumps of the Spotswood Sewerage Pumping Station in the 1890s; and the Lightning Room in the Victoria University High Voltage Theatre - a purpose-built facility dedicated to spectacular lightning demonstrations (the largest on public display in the world), educational presentations and important research.

Scienceworks is operated by Museum Victoria - Australia's largest public museum organisation and the State Museum for Victoria. In addition to Scienceworks and Melbourne Planetarium, Museum Victoria also encompasses Melbourne Museum - a showcase of Australian society, Indigenous cultures, the human mind and body, science and technology, and the environment; and the Immigration Museum - a contemporary social history museum that explores issues of immigration and cultural diversity. Museum Victoria is also responsible for the heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, operates one of Australia's major education and research-based web sites, and is the custodian of the State's immense museum collection.

Scienceworks and the Melbourne Planetarium are located 13 km from the Carlton Crest Hotel and shuttle buses will be provided to transport delegates to the Planetarium presentations. In June 2005, the Melbourne Planetarium was upgraded to install a fulldome Planetarium video projection system utilising Sky-Skan's DigitalSky system. The Planetarium is fitted with 5.1 surround sound, encompasses a 16-metre dome and houses 140 seats in an unidirectional configuration. The Melbourne Planetarium creates its own productions with the in-house production team working with contracted writers, designers, animators, composers and sound designers. With our experience in planetarium show production, the planetarium team will be readily available to assist in the installation of Planetarium presentations for IPS 2006.