GUWAHATI, May 12 � The Guwahati Planetarium will set up an astronomy gallery this financial year, and a formal budgetary proposal in this regard is being sent to the State Government within this month.
HC Dutta, Director of Guwahati Planetarium, told The Assam Tribune that while the primary proposal for the astronomy gallery has already been accepted by the Government, the budget proposal with financial details will be sent for approval. �The originally estimated expenditure for the gallery was Rs 38 lakh, but due to cost escalation it is now likely to be a little more than Rs 40 lakh. We want to finish the project and open the gallery this year,� he said.
The project is being taken up in consultation with the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). Dutta, who is also director of the Assam Science Technology & Environment Council, said a sophisticated telescope would also be installed to provide hands-on experience to amateur astronomers.
The gallery would provide visitors a look at models of the celestial sphere, motion of planets and experience effect of gravity in other planets. Around 40-50 models of celestial objects would be displayed. The sophisticated telescope with a 3.5-inch lens, besides a computer, camera and photometer (used for measuring light intensity or optical properties of a body) would allow amateur astronomers to observe and study astronomical phenomena.
Besides, the Guwahati Planetarium is soon going to introduce two new shows. Work on Assamese dubbing for one of the shows, titled �Search for Life: Are We Alone�, is going on and is expected to be completed in a few days. The other show will be �Journey to the Stars�.
�We have also finished work on new fencing outside the planetarium and three water fountains have been set up. Our constant effort is to provide a better ambiance to the place so that visitors can enjoy their trip, besides learning new things,� Dutta said, adding that chairs in the planetarium would be changed this year. Besides, new tiles are likely to be fitted in the dome of the planetarium.
The Guwahati Planetarium is also actively participating in the Chief Minister�s Gyan Jyoti scheme. Over 1,500 school students from various districts visited the planetarium on May 2-5 under the scheme.�
As per sources, revenue of the Guwahati Planetarium, which receives an annual footfall of around 1.5 lakh, increased to Rs 32.5 lakh last fiscal from Rs 28 lakh in 2011-12.