A Zeiss projector is one of a line of planetarium projectors manufactured by the Carl Zeiss Company. Main models include Copernican (1924), Model I (1925), Model II (1926), Model III (1957), Model IV (1957), Model V (1965), Model VI (1968), Spacemaster (1970), Cosmorana (1984), Skymaster ZKP2 (1977), and Skymaster ZKP3 (1993).

The first modern planetarium projectors were designed and built in 1924 by the Zeiss Works of Jena, Germany.Christopher Dewdney. Acquainted with the Night: Excursions Through the World After Dark. Bloomsbury Publishing USA; 2005 [cited 14 October 2011]. . p. 278–279. Zeiss projectors are designed to sit in the middle of a dark, dome-covered room and project an accurate image of the stars and other astronomical objects on the dome. They are generally large, complicated, and imposing machines.

The first Zeiss Mark I projector (the first planetarium projector in the world) was installed in the Deutsches Museum in Munich in August, 1923. It possessed a distinctive appearance, with a single sphere of projection lenses supported above a large, angled "planet cage". Marks II through VI were similar in appearance, using two spheres of star projectors separated along a central axis that contained projectors for the planets. Beginning with Mark VII, the central axis was eliminated and the two spheres were merged into a single, egg-shaped projection unit.

History of development and production

The Mark I was created in 1923–1924 and was the world's first modern planetarium projector. The Mark II was developed during the 1930s by Carl Zeiss AG in Jena. Following WWII division of Germany and the founding of Carl Zeiss (West Germany) in Oberkochen (while the original Jena plant was located in East Germany), each factory developed its own line of projectors.

Marks III – VI were developed in Oberkochen (West Germany) from 1957 to 1989. Meanwhile, the East German facility in Jena developed the ZKP projector line. The Mark VII was developed in 1993 and was the first joint project of the two Zeiss factories following German reunification.

, Zeiss currently manufactures three main models of planetarium projectors. The flagship Universarium models continue the "Mark" model designation and use a single "starball" design, where the fixed stars are projected from a single egg-shaped projector, and moving objects such as planets have their own independent projectors or are projected using a full-dome digital projection system. The Starmaster line of projectors are designed for smaller domes than the Universarium, but also use the single starball design. The Skymaster ZKP projectors are designed for the smallest domes and use a "dumbbell" design similar to the Mark II-VI projectors, where two smaller starballs for the northern and southern hemispheres are connected by a truss containing projectors for planets and other moving objects.

List of planetariums that have featured a Zeiss projector

Between 1923 and 2011, Zeiss manufactured a total of 631 projectors. Therefore, the following table is highly incomplete.

Planetarium Zeiss Projector Model Acquisition Date End Date Remarks , The Hague, Netherlands Mark I 1934 1976 Destroyed by fire, although the projector has been restored. Silesian Planetarium, Chorzów, Poland Mark II 1955 2018 Silesian Planetarium, the oldest Mark II still in use worldwide, the oldest and biggest planetarium in Poland.

Retired in July 2018, will be reopened after upgrade in mid 2020. Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen, Denmark Starmaster 1989 2012 The only experienced operator in Denmark retired in 2012. Jesper H. Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA Mark II/III 1930 1969 Projector was converted from Mark II to Mark III from 1959 to 1961 Mark VI 1969 2011 Replaced with "Digital Starball" system from Global Immersion Ltd. Planetario Luis Enrique Erro, Mexico City, Mexico Mark IV 1964 2006 It was the first planetarium in Mexico opened to general public and it is also one of the oldest in Latin America.. Planetario LIC. Felipe Rivera, Morelia, México.Mark IV1975PresentOne of the oldest still operational in Latin America. Planetario Simon Bolivar, Maracaibo, Venezuela Starmaster 1968 Present It was the second planetarium in Venezuela. , Budapest, Hungary Mark VI 1969 2017 The planetarium closed indefinitely in 2017 due to rain damage. Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Mark II 1939 1994 Now on exhibit (but not in operation) at the Kamin Science Center.Ukraine. Kyiv planetariumMark IV1988PresentThe dome is the second largest in Europe with a screen area of 830 m2 Bangkok Planetarium, Bangkok, Thailand Mark IV 1964 2016 Replaced by an Evans & Sutherland Digistar 5. The projector is still inside the planetarium but not in operation.. , Osaka, Japan Mark II (No.23) 1937 1989 First Planetarium in Japan Preserved at Osaka Science Museum. , Tokyo, Japan Mark II (No.26) 1938 Destroyed by Bombing of Tokyo , Tokyo, Japan Mark IV(No.1) 1957 2001 , Akashi, Japan Universal(UPP)23/3 1960 Present The oldest projector which is operating in Japan. Nagoya City Science Museum, Nagoya, Japan Mark IV 1962 2010 Closed for renovation in August 2010 Mark IX 2011 Present Re-opened in March 2011 Fernbank Planetarium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Mark V 1967/8? Present Hamburg Planetarium, Hamburg, Germany Mark II 1925 1957 Projector was acquired by the City of Hamburg in 1925, the planetarium was opened to the public in 1930. Mark IV 1957 1983 Mark VI 1983 2003 Mark IX 2006 Present Hayden Planetarium, New York, New York, USA Mark II 1935 1960 Mark IV 1960 1973 Mark VI 1973 1997 Mark IX 1999 Present , Caracas, Venezuela Mark III (modified) 1950 Present This planetarium is the oldest in Latin America.Planetario Humboldt at Spanish Wikipedia Johannesburg Planetarium, Johannesburg, South Africa Mark III (upgraded from Mark II) 1960 Present Acquired from the city of Hamburg and upgraded to Mark III prior to installation. Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Mark Vs 1967 Present Telus World of Science Edmonton, Edmonton, Canada 1984 2008 H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada Mark IV 1967 2013 Remains in situ; replaced with six Colorspace digital video projectors. Galileo Galilei planetarium, Buenos Aires, Argentina Mark V 1967 2011 Replaced by MEGASTAR II A Morehead Planetarium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Mark II 1949 1969 Mark VI 1969 6 May 2011Planetarium of Tripoli, Tripoli, LibyaSpacemaster19802007not in operation but still in the building James S. McDonnell Planetarium, St. Louis, Missouri, USA Mark IX 2001 2026 replaced an Evans & Sutherland Digistar. Replaced in 2026 with a GOTO Chiron III Hybrid projector Samuel Oschin Planetarium, Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California, USA Mark IV 1964 2006 Mark IX 2006 Present Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester, New York, USA Mark VI 1968 Present Originally cost $240,234 – in 1968 dollars. Planetario de Bogotá, Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia Mark VI 1969 Present Fiske Planetarium, Boulder, Colorado, USA Mark VI 1975 2012 Replaced by an Ohira Tech MEGASTAR. , Santiago, Chile Mark VI 1972 Present , Lisbon, Portugal UPP 23/4 1965 2004 Mark IX 2005 Present Delafield Planetarium, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia, USA Skymaster ZKP-3 2000 Present Charles Hayden Planetarium, Boston Museum of Science, Boston, MA, USA Mark VI 1970 2010 Rainy Day Science : Museum Of Science Planetarium – 31 January 2011. Rainydaymagazine.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-30. Starmaster 2011 Present Museum of Science Hosts World Premiere of Original Astronomy Show Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun at Grand Reopening of Charles Hayden Planetarium. Museum of Science. 13 February 2011 Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai, India Mark IV 1977 2003 Replaced by an Evans & Sutherland Digistar 3 Planetario Ulrico Hoepli, Milan, Italy Mark IV 1968 Present Planetario Ciudad de Rosario, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina Mark IV 1962 Present Projector was acquired by the City of Rosario in 1962, the planetarium was opened to the public in 1984:es:Complejo Astronómico Municipal Planetarium (Belgium), Brussels, BELGIUM Mark II 1935 1966 Planetarium was closed between 1939 and 1954. Closed again in 1966. Building and projector were destroyed in 1969. A new building with a new projector was built in 1976. UPP 23/5 1976 present Moscow Planetarium, Moscow, Russia Mark II 1929 1976 Details preserved at Moscow Planetarium Mark VI 1977 1994 Preserved at Moscow PlanetariumPlanetarium ceased work in 1994 Mark IX 2010 Present Projector was acquired in 2010, the planetarium was renovated and opened to the public in 2011 London Planetarium, Baker Street, London, UK Mark IV 1958 1995 Now in Science Museum collection.Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland, California, USAMark VIII1999PresentAs of 2016, the Mark VIII projector unit was successfully repaired, after several years being dysfunctional. Cozmix, Bruges, Belgium ZKP 3b 2002 Present Espaço do Conhecimento do UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil ZKP 4 2010 Present Dow Planetarium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Mark V 1966 2011 Now at exhibit at the new planetarium Sri Lanka Planetarium, Colombo, Sri Lanka Mark IV 1965 Present This was a gift from east GermanyPlanetário Professor Francisco José Gomes Ribeiro (Colégio Estadual do Paraná), Curitiba, Paraná, BrazilZKP 1 1978 Present Planetário da Fundação Espaço Cultural, João Pessoa, Paraíba, BrazilSpacemaster1982Present Birla Planetarium, Kolkata, IndiaUniversal1962Sardar Patel Planetarium, Vadodara, IndiaSpacemaster1976Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai, IndiaUniversal1977Sternwarte Planetarium SIRIUS, Schwanden near Sigriswil, SwitzerlandZKP 220002014ZKP 42014Present

See also List of planetariums Planetarium Planetarium Jena Walther Bauersfeld

References

External links

Zeiss Planetariums