Kusumbai Motichand Planetarium, Astronomy education center in Pune, India
Kusumbai Motichand Planetarium is an astronomy education center in Pune, housed within a concrete hemispherical dome structure located atop the New English School building. The facility offers regular shows covering celestial events, planetary movements, and topics related to space exploration.
Founded in 1954, it was Asia's first projection planetarium, made possible by a substantial donation from the Walchand Group. This gift represented an important early investment in public science education across the continent.
The facility became a gathering place for students and people curious about the stars, offering a space where astronomy education was accessible to the broader community. Shows and demonstrations made celestial science feel tangible and immediate to local audiences.
The venue accommodates about 100 visitors per showing, so arriving early helps secure a good spot. Finding the location is straightforward since it sits atop a school building and is visible from street level.
The building itself features a Y-shaped design with three linear wings connecting to a central hub at precise 120-degree angles. This geometric arrangement is not immediately obvious from ground level but becomes clear when viewing the structure from above.
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