Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

The Brisbane Botanic Garden ground is where the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is located. It was opened in the year 1978 and the planetarium has been so named after Sir Thomas Brisbane who was an avid astronomer and the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. This was the first significant observatory in Australia

It was Sir Brisbane who extensively mapped the southern sky and made a list of 7385 stars. You can get to see the original copy of the ‘Brisbane Catalogue of Stars' along with one of the telescopes that were his prized possessions in the planetarium.

The features of the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

The planetarium has certain exciting features that makes it a must see destination when you reach Brisbane. The planetarium is divided into zones that inform you about the beauties of the cosmic world. The features that make up the planetarium are-

• The Cosmic Sky dome- this is hemispherical in shape and it has the Zeiss Star Projector that recreates the images of the night sky of Brisbane on a gigantic screen.

• The Display Zone- this is another place that attracts all. Here you will find a wonderful display of artifacts like astronomical rubble and the fragments of space craft models. You will also get to see the images taken from the Hubble Space Telescope.

• Mini Theatre- here you can see the short features on different topics on astronomy and the missions that have been sent to space.

• The Observatory- Gaze up to the sky with one of the Planetarium's astronomers with the variety of telescopes that are there. But the quality of the view depends upon how clear the night sky is. You can contact Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong

Phone: 07 3403 2578

Fax: 07 3403 2575

• Planetarium Shop- this shop sells several astronomical merchandise like the spacecraft models, telescopes, globes, project kits, star charts, souvenirs, educational resources and books.

The shows at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

The Planetarium holds certain very informative and entertaining programs that cater both to adults and children. These shows are of various durations are very enjoyable. The prices of these shows vary with the age groups and the duration. You can contact the booking office at 3403 2578.