Maximilián Hell Regional Observatory and Planetarium, Žiar nad Hronom

Name:

Krajská hvezdáreň a planetárium Maximiliána Hella (KHaP), Žiar nad Hronom

Contact: Stanislav Kaniansky Director

Address:

Duklianskych hrdinov 21, 965 01 Žiar nad Hronom, Slovakia

Telephone:

421 (0) 45 6700 888

Fax:

421 (0) 45 6700 800

Email:

office@planetarium.sk

Website:

http://www.planetarium.sk

Hours:

From April until September: Fri: 8pm, From October until March: Fri: 6pm, during summer holidays also on Wed: 4pm, for organized groups: Mon-Fri by appointment

The Maximilian Hell Observatory and Planetarium in Žiar nad Hronom is a cultural and educational organisation which aims to spread scientific knowledge of astronomy amongst the general public, especially children and students. The Planetarium mainly serves the central Slovakia region but many of its activities have a multi-regional and national character.

The Planetarium offers special programmes for schools and community groups. Programmes include demonstrations of astronomical phenomena on a simulated sky, lectures, public discussions, film presentations, audio-visual programmes, video-viewings, and observations of celestial bodies and day and night phenomena via astronomical optics.

The Planetarium also performs a range of consultancy and publication activities, supports the work of astronomy hobby groups and is involved in the further education of teachers.

Observations are aimed at basic and supplementary observation programmes. Results from observations are processed, evaluated and published.

The Planetarium co-operates with schools, universities and following astronomical organisations in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic: the Central Slovak Observatory, the Astronomic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Science, the Astronomic Institute of the Czech Academy of Science, the Slovak Astronomic Society, the Czech Astronomic Society, the Slovak Hydro-meteorological Institute, the Slovak Association of Astronomers Amateurs and others.

The Planetarium was founded by the Banská Bystrica Regional Government and along with the Observatories in Banská Bystrica and Rimavská Sobota forms one organisational unit.