Planetarium next to Goa beach on the anvil

Panaji, Feb 25 (PTI) Stargazers in Goa will be in for acelestial treat soon as a 3D planetarium is expected to comeup next to the Miramar beach near here, officials said today.

Goa Science Centre, an initiative of National Centre ofScience Museums, has planned the planetarium at its facilityin the state, costing Rs 76 lakh.

Centre''s Goa Coordinator V N Joshi told PTI that thefacility will have sitting capacity of 50 people and it willbe constructed with joint funding of Goa and Union government.

"The state and central government will share theexpenditure on 50:50 per cent basis," he said.

The project, on the lines of Nehru Planetarium will havea eight-meter long dome and will be ready within next sixmonths.

Joshi said being situated next to a beach the planetariumcan also become a major tourist attraction.

He said they get annually one lakh footfalls at theCentre. "We have been advertised on brochures of Goa TourismDevelopment Corporation. In addition, we have requested fewtour operators to ferry in the guests," Joshi said.

The visitors usually comprise students from variousschools, who come here to view the exhibits.

Joshi said the aim of the Centre is to make peopleunderstand Science through experiments.

"People should involve themselves in Science tounderstand it," he said adding "in usual museums you are notallowed to touch the exhibits, but here you can interact withthe exhibits to understand and feel the Science." PTI RPS DKDK