ENGLISH

Baia Mare Planetarium, together with the Astronomical Observatory is part of the Astronomical Sciences Museum.

Opened in 1969, as the first public planetarium in Romania, displaying at that time a very powerfull starball system, from Zeiss – Germany (ZKP1 – 248 unique build number) in a 8 meters dome. In present time, one of the most sought after tourist attractions in Maramures county and Romania. Our first analogical and opto-mechanical planetarium system was modernized in 2015 with the Zeiss Skymaster ZKP4 optical fiber-led star projector, an amazing interface for sky discovery and travelling through COSMOS, and in 2021 – the space-time gate to the Universe was completed by an additional digital projection system from RSA Cosmos. Youre visit is a journey to Universe: Science, culture and entertainment in one place.

Address: str. George Coșbuc, nr. 16.
Telephone: (0040) 362 401.921
E-mail: contact@planetariubm.ro

Open hours: Tuesday-Sunday:
9:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 – live shows with astronomical demonstrations in planetariums dom with our ZKP4 Zeiss Optical planetarium projector;
10:00 12:00 14:00 – digital recorded and thematical planetarium shows, about solar system, astronomy and astrophisycs, history of telescope, Black matter and so on …

Because the main presentation – offered in Romanian language, – consisting of a guide on the sky, highlighting the constellations, brightest stars and the various apparent movements in the night sky, we recommend that you announce your visit in advance. In the event that the live guide in English will not be available, you have the option of full-dome themed digital shows with English audio dubbing. We just need to find an optimal time interval so as not to interfere with the presentations in Romanian. Call us or write in Messenger from Facebook (facebook.com/planetariul)

You are advised to reserve an ”time interval”, by calling (or email-us) to announce your visit, because the most slots are available for romanian language so together will find the perfect time for the visit. Adding a special slot (ex: from 10:30 to 11:00 and preparing the guidance) could make a better experience of visiting!

Admission charge: 20 Lei (RON) for adults (converted is: 4 Euro!); 5 Lei for children (1 Euro!).

The planetarium is the modern star’s projector, which could display a very interesting artificial sky, with Sun, planets, moons, thousands stars, artistic representation of constellations – all of them in respect with proper motions of this objects through the sky, by automatic calculations, algorithms applied by computing systems.

Our space-time trip begins from Baia Mare day and night sky with many observer and destinations. We will make o tour of the sky, like it could be seen from Baia Mare, with constellations and other marvel objects. Then will fly to North Pole and South Pole of the Earth, to see the sky from those positions.

We prepared for our foreign visitors a special guidance in English and, besides of classical constellations, we offer you a cultural dialogue concerning the spectacular representations of Romanian peasants about the sky and constellations. Other exhibitions available.

Our planetarium is located near the historical center of the city (15 minutes walk) and to the Mineralogy Museum also (10 minutes walk).

You can visit among other thematic exhibitions our very best and functional former star projection system – the ZKP1 – Zeiss Jena star projector with which we used to make astronomical demonstrations in our planetarium dome.

Very special is also our open air astronomy – solar system parc and especially two of our digital shows, recently entered in our portofolio after 2 great cooperations with planetariums from Brno-Czech Republic, Hamburg – Germany, Zielona Gora – Poland, Budapest – Hungary, Hurbanovo – Slovakia, called ”Dark side of light” and ”Satelix”, one concerning the ”light pollution topic”, and the second treating the artificial satelites and the impact of space technologies in our lives.

The Baia Mare Astronomical Sciences Museum is a special place where the past is alive and accelerating towards the future! Our universe projecton tools is, in the first place, the most modern optical planetarium and hybrid optimized projection system from Romania, with the britest stars projected by Skymaster ZKP-4 optical model from Zeiss and the travelling through space and time, is done with an imersive digital rover full-dome system from RSA Cosmos, in a 8 mettres fix dome, with 55 seats, welcoming atmosphere with fresh sound and comfortable armchairs. Our planetarium is a cultural, educational, and touristical ”must see” sight.

Why is the sky blue during the day but dark at night? How big really is the Universe? What is the history of the Universe and what was before the Big Bang? Are we alone? What are constellations? Why is Pluto no longer a planet? Where are we in our galaxy? Why is Mars red and how did Saturn get its rings? Is the Universe infinite? What is the difference between astronomy and astrology? What is the fourth dimension? Where are the rest of dimensions and why we can not see them? If these are some of your questions, our guides will help you establish a direct communication line with the Universe. Oh, we almost forgot! We also have a complex contraption that grants wishes! In our dome its raining every time with stars, meteors …

Our planetarium show is the perfect introduction in scientific and cultural astronomy, awakening cosmic conscience – humanity’s tremendous responsibility for our planet and for the whole Universe. What else can you enjoy at the Baia Mare Astronomical Complex? The Solar System panel-based exhibition, as well as an interactive screen that will guide you through the Universe -can also be found in the access area of our “cosmic portal”. Outsite, before or after the visit – you will find the first open-air astronomy park, dedicated to solar system.

The “HUBBLE – 30 years from the launch” anniversary interactive print dedicated to the telescope that changed our perspectives on the cosmic space is guarded by our compact astronomical technologies exhibition, as well as a big interactive, touch screen digital panel with an virtual planetarium sofware installed, from where you could freely travel to the edges of Universe. Ok, Univers does not have edges!

Opening new horizons in knowledge, the “Găvrilă Tomoiagă” hall dubs as conference venue, as home to the “Traditional Romanian Constellations” multimedia exhibition, as well as an astro-cinema (from time to time playing our documentary clips).

In the hallway leading to the astronomical observatory, we host internally developed or co-curated temporary exhibitions. In the observatory’s tower, our visitors step into the (now!!!) 55 years old history of our Planetarium by glaring at our first sky projector, Zeiss’s ZKP-1 model. Our statistics shows that between 1969 and 2015, over two millions curious visitors have marveled at the sky with the help of this engineering jewel. The ZKP-1 is a slightly improved version of the first planetarium projector, Model I showcased for the first time at Jena, Zeiss factory roof, in 1923.

The Baia Mare Astronomical Observatory, through our telescopes and rotating mechanical dome, offers the possibility of a true live immersion into the cosmos. The circular hallway surrounding the telescopes hosts a panel-based exhibition dedicated to “Messier Objects” (opened in 2015, the International Year of Light), extraordinarily varied objects and structures that populate the Universe.

Of course, museum education is a main component of any visit to the Baia Mare Museum of Astronomical Sciences. However, we are especially proud of our educational program, the “ASTRONOMICUS” youth camp. Our science camp held in July, every year, is especially designed for demonstration-based applied learning, recreation through games, and developing abstract-thinking skills such as grasping the profound implications of natural light.

Our patrimony is comprised from two large astronomy themed philatelic collections (over 2000 stamps), the tehnical and optical mobile collection – with old and newer telescopes, our two planetarium optical projectors (Zeiss ZKP4 SkyMaster LED and Zeiss ZKP1, both analog), as well as a full-dome digital planetarium projector (RSA Cosmos with Sky Explorer 2023). Alongside we also host a wonderful immaterial patrimony, consisting in the ancient knowledge about stars and constellations, and illustrated through the 39 traditional Romanian constellations, our virtual exhibits.

A planetarium is not only a window to the Universe. A visit to the Planetarium offers both deeper knowledge and understandings as well as a special kind of mood; it is as if meeting and old friend, do you?

Baia Mare Museum of Astronomical Sciences
16 George Coșbuc street, Baia Mare, Maramureș County
Telephone: 0362 401 921 Web: http://www.planetariubm.ro
E-mail: planetariubm@gmail.com
Facebook tag: #planetariul

Show schedule:
Tue – Sun: 9.00; 10.00; 11.00; 12.00; 13.00; 14.00; 15.00.
Mon – Closed

Entrance fees:
Children, pupils, students, and senior citizens: 5 lei (RON)
Adults: 20 lei (RON)

Our program is divided in two segments: live astronomical demonstrations in the dome with optical planetarium (at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00) and digital planetarium based documentary-movies full-dome playing (at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00) – every day, excepting Monday – when our museum is CLOSED

Entrance is free of charge for people with disabilities, persons from disenfranchised communities, military and veterans, and museums employees.

Visit length: 30 – 60 minutes.

• Traditional Romanian Constellations – digital exhibition – project granted by Romanian National Cultural Fond Administration (2012);

• Traditional Romanian Constellations – NEXT level – granted by Romanian National Cultural Fond Administration. This project included a live international conference on this subject, broadcasted on project own online TV site (2013);

• The sky is in your hands – Traditional Romanian Constellations digital exhibition for blind and visually impaired people (2016) – project granted by National Cultural Fond Administration.  Multi-senzorial exhibition, with tactile, audio and special smells support. Five portable units were shared in other main museum locations from Romania;

• Planetarium for blind and visually impaired people (2017) – project granted by National Cultural Fond Administration; two special devices with audio guidance and three-dimensional stars and links between them, forming the patterns;

• PL@NETour – creation of a scientific tourism product and infrastructure for cross-border scientific tourism network in Maramures and Transcarpathia regions – granted by EU ENPI CBC PROGRAMME HUSKROUA 2007-2013

• Our team also managed to implement Romanian stellar mythology into an open source Planetarium simulation programme called Stellarium (starting with version 0.13.0 of the programme).

• European Project Erasmus Plus, exchange experience with planetariums from Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic and cooperation for creation of an intellectual output (2019 – 2021), ”SATELIX” fulldome digital show, concerning the artificial satelites an the impact of modern technologies in our lives topics.

• European Project Erasmus Plus, exchange experience with planetariums from Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria and cooperation for creation of an intellectual output (2021 – 2023), ”Dark side of light” fulldome digital show, concerning the complex topic light pollution in astronomy, in nature and for human health.