Chan Ki-hung, curator of the Space Museum, said it is the first time that the Stanley Ho Space Theatre is implementing such a large-scale refurbishment since its opening in 1980.

According to Chan, the new 48 million pixel-resolution digital planetarium projector system boasts the highest resolution in the world, as only a handful of planetaria elsewhere are installed with a projector of such a high resolution.

Dome animations

The new system, said Chan, can project full dome animations or movies. Visitors of the Space Museum can gaze the 'starry sky' in their own time and place in the universe. They can experience flying into space to visit stars or other celestial objects and to view the object rendered in a 3D model. The system also allows future expansion such as upgrading to project 3D full dome images.

"The new seats will be installed with a multilingual facility that allows narration in more than four languages for a show. The newly designed display unit installed on the armrest of the seat will allow individual viewers to select language and use the interactive features, such as short message service among the audience and participation in real-time games," Chan said.