assamese movies at digital planetarium of regional science centre guwahati


ROOPAK GOSWAMI

Guwahati Language will no more be a barrier for sky gazers at the proposed digital planetarium at Regional Science Centre.
The digital movies at the science centre will not only be screened in English but also in Assamese.
“We will be launching the programme in Assamese so that local people can best understand the scientific contents behind the movie. There is no medium better than mother tongue,” project coordinator of the centre V. S. Sharma said.
Many youngsters from rural areas who visit the science centre are not well versed in English and find it difficult to understand the movies.
“Science has to be understood to be enjoyed and for that language should not be a barrier,” Sharma said.
Giving details of the new digital planetarium, the first in the city, Sharma said the technology involves state of art computer processing and projection system.
“The digital projector used in the system is unique in the sense that the projection is not over a flat screen but over a hemispherical dome. The viewers sit under the dome and experience high-resolution video and imagery. The experience is totally grand and unique and first of its kind for the people of the city,” he said.
“Our eyes are trained for looking all-around, that is why this hemispherical projection gives complete experience in contrast to flat screen movies. The hemispherical projection requires special projectors with fish-eye lens,” he said adding that all modern planetariums nowadays use digital technology.
The planetarium is complete and ready for launch. The science centre will be celebrating National Science Day on February 28 with a lot of fanfare.
He said the science centre was planning to show five different movies on this platform and the first show will be on sun.
“The sun, seemingly innocuous as it appears from far off is actually not like this. The surface of sun is very turbulent and often experiences storm. Sometimes, these flares are so strong that it can bring all communication satellite to halt. The height of these solar flares reaches thousands of kilometres. All these technical intricacies are explained in very simple
and lucid manner,” Sharma said.
He said the technology was developed by the scientists and engineers of Regional Science Centre.

EOM

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