VietNamNet Bridge - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to Binh Dinh’s proposal on the construction of a scientific complex in the coastal city of Quy Nhon.

This work – the first of its kind in Vietnam - will be built from 2015 to 2018, funded by the state and local budget and other sources.

The work will consist of three parts: a planetarium, science museum and an astronomical observatory with a total budget of about VND110 billion ($5.2 million), covering an area of two hectares.

Binh Dinh authorities have selected the Milou Architects (France) as the consultant and designer of the planetarium.

Along with the International Center of Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE), also located in Quy Nhon city, the new project will help turn Binh Dinh into a venue of Vietnamese and international scientists.

After more than one year in operation, the ICISE has welcomed many scientists in the international physical world, including six Nobel winners, recipients of the Fields and Shaw Prizes and nearly 500 professors and doctors from more than 30 countries.

A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetaria is the large dome-shaped projection screen onto which scenes of stars, planets and other celestial objects can be made to appear and move realistically to simulate the complex 'motions of the heavens'.

The celestial scenes can be created using a wide variety of technologies, for example precision-engineered 'star balls' that combine optical and electro-mechanical technology, slide projectors, video and fulldome projector systems, and lasers.

Whatever technologies are used, the objective is normally to link them together to provide an accurate relative motion of the sky. Typical systems can be set to display the sky at any point in time, past or present, and often to show the night sky as it would appear from any point of latitude on Earth.

Le Ha