In this Dec 14, 2019 photo, elementary school students visit a planetarium in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet autonomous region. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
LHASA – The groundbreaking ceremony for the Tibet Planetarium was held in Lhasa on Sunday.
The planetarium, scheduled to open to the public in 2024, will be the highest in the world.
"The planetarium has a gross floor area of 11,571 square meters, and the architectural style is inspired by a meteorite," said Wang Junjie, deputy director of the science and technology department of Tibet Autonomous Region.
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The one-meter-aperture optical telescope installed at the planetarium will be the largest refraction optical telescope in the world, and will serve the dual purposes of scientific research and popularization of science, he said.
The Tibet Planetarium is an important member of the national networks of planetariums and astronomical observatories.
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It will play an important role in improving the popularization of astronomical science in Tibet and the ability of astronomical and space observation in China.