International holidays - International Day of Planetaria

International Planetarium Day first appeared in Italy in 1995 It was conceived by the Association of Italian Planetariums and became a truly international day when, 4 years later, it was supported by the French, and a year later it was picked up by a number of European countries: Poland, Belgium, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine Today, this day is celebrated in the United States of America and Australia, and continues to spread throughout the globe Many places use planetarium day as the launch of special programs and events for the public It was originally scheduled for the last Sunday before the spring equinox, but the date was later changed to the second Sunday in March, allowing space observers to easily plan their events in advance In 2023-2025, on the eve of the centenary of the opening of the first Zeiss planetarium at the Deutsches Museum in Munich (May 7, 1925), it is proposed to celebrate International Planetarium Day on May 7 The holiday was created: 1 inform the public about the work of planetariums, what they are and why they exist;2 to inform the public about light pollution problems;3 in order to promote international exchanges and cooperation between space centers of different countries;4 to highlight the important work of the International Planetarium Society On this day, shows, lessons, forecasts, exhibitions and public viewings of the starry sky are organized everywhere All astronomical centers, regardless of affiliation, take part in the holiday The services they usually provide to the public are strongly encouraged to be made free of charge Partnership can be expressed by bringing together people from different countries under one dome To take part in this, a planetarium in one country collaborates with colleagues of a similar observation facility in another place in the world For example, a planetarium from an Italian city will work with colleagues from a city in Africa Why is the work of planetariums so important? In today's polluted world, many people have lost touch with the stars Only a few in big cities, and even in some rural areas, can recognize the distant star of the Milky Way Planetariums were created to "capture the stars" and bring them closer to Earth so that everyone could enjoy them and learn their secrets According to the latest unofficial data, every year 144 million people visit the 4,145 planetariums in the world The goal of the international day is to increase this number through awareness, exploration of the stars, space and astronomy