Planetarium Smolyan


The biggest Planetarium with an astronomical observatory in Bulgaria is located in the mountain town of Smolyan. It began operations in 1975 and carries out research, educational and promotional activities.
The round stellar hall with a domed ceiling lies in the “Heart” of the Planetarium. The hall is 12.5 m in diameter and has 150 seats. The main projector – a space flight planetarium (RFP), is set in its centre. It creates an artificial starlit sky – an exact copy of the real sky. The apparatus allows for the exact reproduction of the movements of the celestial sphere, the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the different astronomical objects and phenomena.
The dome of the observatory at the Planetarium is 3 m high. A reflecting telescope is installed under it. There are also several other telescopes in the planetarium which, on clear-sky days, allow people to observe the Sun and the active areas of the solar photosphere. Every Wednesday evening they give them the opportunity to watch the Moon, different planets, double stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, etc. A sundial, a vertical gnomon and an observation platform where small portable telescopes are installed are built on the astroplatform. The gnomon is a simple ancient astronomical device – a vertical pole set on a horizontal platform whose shadow can be used to determine the position (the height and the direction) of the Sun in the sky.

Where to stay near Planetarium Smolyan

Additional Information

From 1 April to 31 October – Closed on Sunday afternoons
From 1 November to 31 March – Closed on SundaysThe Planetarium is closed on official holidays.Sessions in the Stellar Hall:
– In Bulgarian: 9.30 am, 11.00 am, 3.00 pm, 4.30 pm.
– In a foreign language (English, German, French, Russian, Greek, and Turkish) – 2.00 pm.Telescope observations:
– Day-time – of the Sun (every sunny day)
– Evening – of luminaries visible in the evening (Wednesdays only)Note:
The only fixed session is the one at 3 pm. During the rest of the time sessions are held for groups of no less than 10 people
Performances (sessions) in the stellar hall in Bulgarian: children, students, seniors – BGN 3;
seniors – BGN 5.
Performances (sessions) in the stellar hall in a foreign language: children, adults – BGN 10.Telescope observations: day-time – BGN 3; evening – BGN 5.Minimum price for Performances in the stellar hall for groups of less than 10 people (except the 3 pm session) – BGN 40.

More sites in Smolyan region