Thane, April 5 The first planetarium in Thane district was inaugurated on Sunday in a village near the town of Shahapur.
The private Space Astrotainment Planetarium & Observatory (SAPO) is located on 3.5 acres in the Sakadbav village, featuring a state-of-the-art 56-seat digital dome planetarium with 360-degree projection technology, offering shows in Marathi, Hindi, and English.
The facility includes an open-sky observatory equipped with powerful telescopes for real-time observation of celestial bodies such as Saturn's rings and the Moon. To encourage multi-day learning sessions, the center also offers accommodation for visitors.
Shahapur MLA Daulat Daroda said on Sunday that the facility would inspire children to learn about astronomy.
Astronomer D.K. Soman, who attended as the Chief Guest, called for the facility to be developed into a dedicated center for education and research in astronomy.