Melaka Planetarium, Science education building in Ayer Keroh, Malaysia.
The Melaka Planetarium is a three-storey building with Islamic architecture and a 15-metre dome, built on the MITC roundabout in Ayer Keroh. It has four sections: astronomy, outer space, simulation and physics. Its dome theatre was the largest in Malaysia, and it could hold 210 people at a time.
Officially opened on August 10, 2009, by Malacca State Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam, this facility became the second planetarium in the state and was constructed at a cost of MYR20 million.
The building incorporates Islamic architectural elements with UFO landing motifs, reflecting regional cultural influences while promoting STEM education and scientific curiosity among Malaysian students and visitors.
The building stands on the MITC roundabout in Ayer Keroh and has been sealed as unsafe since 2019, so it cannot be entered. Its management office moved to temporary premises at Taman Tasik Utama, Ayer Keroh. The planned Science And Galaxy World redevelopment was still listed as abandoned in 2023.
The planetarium was built on the MITC roundabout, the only building in the area constructed over a road circle. Its 15-metre dome housed Malaysia's largest domed theatre, and a 2010 space exhibition was organised with NASA. A display listed Pluto as a planet although it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
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