Planetarium
Welcome to the page of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory dedicated to our INAF-OAC Planetarium!
ATTENTION: We regret to inform you that, due to ongoing construction at the site, the Planetarium is currently not operational, neither for school groups nor the public. We hope to reopen soon.
STAFF & HISTORY
The INAF-OAC Planetarium is a scientific outreach tool of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory INAF-OAC, under the Dissemination and Education (D&D) sector led by researcher Silvia Casu. The Planetarium Manager is researcher Sabrina Milia.
The Planetarium was established following the 2013 relocation of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory to its new headquarters in Selargius; in 2014, the development of content and the creation of shows were entrusted to researchers Sabrina Milia and Noemi Iacolina, and the Planetarium officially became operational in 2015. In the same year, Paolo Soletta, a researcher from the communication field, joined the team, while in 2016, Noemi Iacolina moved to the Italian Space Agency and left the team.
The current staff, consisting of Sabrina Milia, Paolo Soletta, and Silvia Casu, handles every phase of the creation and production of shows, from the concept to content and script development, from using creation and management software to operating and speaking during the shows themselves.
WHERE IS THE INAF-OAC PLANETARIUM LOCATED?
Our planetarium is located at the headquarters of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory INAF-OAC in Selargius, at Via della Scienza No. 5, loc. Cuccuru Angius, and is easily recognizable by its external container: a tilted, rust-colored parallelepiped that seems to have accidentally fallen to Earth! Beneath this angular structure, the result of the ingenuity of the architect designers and the use of a pre-oxidized iron called “corten,” lies a hemispherical dome almost 11 meters in diameter that can accommodate more than seventy people in comfortable seats: this is where we project our shows exploring the sky and all its components.
WHY IS THE INAF-OAC PLANETARIUM SPECIAL?
Although it is set in a brand new and modern environment, our planetarium has technical features in line with many other projection systems in Sardinia and around the world. So, what makes us special? It’s precisely the fact that, being the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) a research entity exclusively dedicated to the study of the sky, we have access to updates on discoveries and scientific publications in astronomy first, often directly from the people involved, and we can simplify and make usually quite complex content accessible to the public. This is made possible by the simultaneous management of one of the most advanced radio-astronomical antennas in the world: the Sardinia Radio Telescope in San Basilio.
OUR SHOWS
Generally, our shows consist of images, videos, and 3D animations accompanied live by comments from astrophysicists and researchers working at the Observatory, but there are occasions when we simply project videos purchased on the market or provided by major agencies like the European Space Agency.
Below you will find a list with descriptions of the shows we have designed and produced from 2014 to today. It’s a list that will grow year by year with new and updated combinations with the latest discoveries in the field of astronomy.
TO THE MOON!
Our pale satellite hides many secrets, primarily its “dark side,” which has so heavily influenced our way of thinking about the duality of situations, things, and even people. In this show, we will discover many important details: from myths and legends to the measurements of its cycles and their influence on Earth, through aerospace missions and eclipses… of the moon but also of the sun, since it is always the protagonist!
EARTH, AND YET IT MOVES!
The famous phrase by Galileo, adapted for our show, introduces the topic of this show: the movements of the Earth. We are used to considering only some of them (rotation and revolution), while we often ignore others no less important, such as the precession of the equinoxes, not to mention the consequences of the axis tilt on our daily lives. Are you ready?
THE WALTZ OF THE PLANETS
Mercury, Earth, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune… do you think they are in the right order? And are they all there, or is one missing? The planets of the Solar System wander orderly within our great home and create all sorts of surprises. There will be many surprises that, even though we think we know practically everything about the stars that became the gods of antiquity, you will find in this fascinating show.
THE STARS TELL THEIR STORY – Stellar evolution minute by minute
“We are children of the stars”: sometimes we read or hum this phrase but do not really understand its deep meaning. Yet it is the truth: we come from the Universe, and not just because some comet may have brought water and life to Earth, but precisely because ancient stars created, during their life cycle, all the elements we are made of today. Don’t believe it? Come and see!
THE WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Draco, and at least 84 other perspective formations populate our sky in the form of “constellations.” But these fanciful figures are not enough to explain the secrets of our sky: many elements that seem like stars to us are actually planets, comets, galaxies, or even their groupings. Come and discover more, we will take you far away.
THE INVISIBLE SKY
Our senses are limited: there are many “infra” or “ultra” waves that we cannot see or hear. Yet they exist, and today we are beginning to have valid instruments to record them and do science. In this show (quite technical and not suitable for very young children), we will discover the world of invisible waves, particularly radio waves, and the most advanced techniques for their reception and classification, as well as the information they provide us about the Universe and celestial objects.
COMETS – Discovering our origins
Why is it so important to study comets? Why have there been so many space missions, among the latest those of Rosetta and Philae, aimed at understanding and knowing these objects better and uncovering their secrets? In this show, we will see it together, and we will understand how the origins of our life could be indissolubly linked to these fascinating celestial bodies!
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES AND COSMIC CLOCKS
In the Universe, there are strange objects called pulsars, which are rapidly rotating neutron stars that act as real cosmic clocks… with precision comparable to the best atomic clocks on Earth! So why not exploit this characteristic to detect the now-famous gravitational waves? This show features a group of researchers from the Cagliari Observatory, who are trying to accomplish this feat!
THE SKY THAT UNITES PEOPLES
Observing the sky is probably the only thing that reconnects us, without mediation, with the intellect and culture of the ancients. Myths and beliefs have always accompanied man and his progressive discovery of celestial laws in search of certain measures of space and time. Whether geographical or temporal, the differences between people are annulled by the cosmic order that even untrained eyes can easily observe. A great journey through myths and legends that will show us how the sky can unite us as humanity.