2009 was the International Year of Astronomy, and marked also the launch of South Africa’s own Space Agency. The Durban Space Science Centre and Planetarium will put Durban firmly on the international map of astronomy, and for the first time ever, will mark the city as a clear destination of choice for the burgeoning number of astro-tourists worldwide.

The Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA) is planning to create a Space Science Centre in the city of Durban, South Africa. Our vision embraces a planetarium, an online observatory, and an interactive space science section modelled on the very best facilities available anywhere. We intend, at the recommendation of our colleague Dr Timothy Eastman at NASA/Goddard, to link to international space science programmes on domes and large digital screens. Such things have become feasible in the digital electronic age, and we believe Durban will be the first city in Africa, if not the world, to reach out and fully embrace this technology.

The words "planetarium", "space theatre" and “observatory” conjure up many different images to many different people. This is due to the wide variety of facilities that purport to be space theatres, planetariums and observatories, and to the almost equally wide variety in the operating modes of those entities.

Today, the new frontiers of human exploration lie far beyond the earth, extend through the Solar System, across interstellar space, and reach out to galaxies billions of light years away. Considerable progress has been made in space science research with the advent of orbiting telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope. The modern planetarium has to be designed to accommodate these advances and to remain adaptable to other advances and innovations.

It is now possible to simulate these distant inaccessible environments in a tilted hemispherical dome to allow people to have an idea of what it might feel like to actually be there. Modern planetariums are indeed space theatres, and can take the form of simulated space ships, which with knowledgeable tour guides will allow ordinary citizens to explore the wonders of the universe in the way in which Carl Sagan brought the mysteries of space to our living rooms.

Alongside the simulations of a planetarium, we can experience by means of state-of-the-art digital technology and the World Wide Web, insight into the vastness of deep space that was until now the exclusive preserve of a small band of professional astronomers. An online digital observatory linked to some of the major observatories both on Earth and in space, will give the general public an unprecedented armchair view of the cosmos as it actually is. This feature will give the Durban Space Science Centre an edge over any other comparable facility in the world.

We envisage an iconic architectural structure that embodies avant-garde green technology and will be to Durban what the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Opera House is to Paris and Sydney respectively.  It will necessarily incorporate the most advanced available technology and will be a landmark feature that will enhance Durban’s appeal as modern tourism destination.

There are virtually limitless options available, and the Durban Space Science Centre may include exciting facilities, like:

A Unispherium™ Digital Virtual Environment which offers immersive virtual experiences that transport you far out into the cosmos or deep down into the complex workings of a single human cell.

An IMAX® Theatre offering both daytime and evening journeys into the wonders of deep space.

A digital, large-screen observatory, linked via the Internet to some of the largest and most sophisticated professional observatories situated on the Earth and far out in space.

A Neighbourhood Observatory will offer day and night viewing of the Durban sky through several go-to, computer-guided telescopes.

A lecture theatre with between 300 and 500 seats, where leading astro-scientists can share the wonders of the cosmos.

An interactive space science experience (ISSE), that lets one "Learn about many different areas of science — including fibre optics, magnetism, electricity, plasma, spectrum analysis, and more!" These are all related to astronomy and astrophysics, and are displayed in a series of cabinets. The ISSE can incorporate things like a plasma ball (fascinating - simulates solar activity), and a state-of-the-art "Science-On-A-Sphere" developed at NASA/Goddard, which they are happy to share with us.