The largest planetarium in Romania and the only one located in a zoo is to be built in Brasov mountain resort, reports local Adevarul.

The planetarium will have a diameter of 15 meters and will be two times bigger than those currently existing in Romania. The investment is estimated at some EUR 1.4 million, and the members of the Brasov City Council voted the project’s technical and economic indicators at the end of last week.

Located inside the zoo in Noua neighborhood, the planetarium will also be the largest in terms of capacity as it will have 90 seats. It will also have two special places for people in wheelchairs.

The planetarium will not only be dedicated to astronomy. Documentaries, cartoons, or education movies will also be screened there, once the dome will be covered with a special paint.

There are currently eight such centers in Romania, in Constanta, Baia Mare, Suceava, Barlad, Galati, Craiova, Bacau, and Pitesti. The largest ones have a capacity of some 50 seats, with a diameter of maximum 7 meters.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com