Planetron

Planetron was a planetarium and observatory in Dwingeloo, in the Netherlands' Drenthe province, that introduced generations of visitors to the stars between 1989 and 2020.

About Planetron

Planetron opened in 1989 and combined a Zeiss star projector inside a 15-metre dome with a 60cm optical telescope - at the time, the largest telescope available to the general public in the Netherlands. The instrument had previously belonged to the former Kapteyn Observatory in Roden.

History

For three decades Planetron ran public planetarium shows and stargazing nights from its dome in Dwingeloo. Its last public stargazing event took place on 13 March 2020, after which the building was converted into "Huis van Drenthe" and now houses other businesses; it no longer operates as an observatory.

Location & getting there

The former observatory stood in Dwingeloo, a village in the Netherlands' Drenthe province - a region also home to major radio astronomy facilities, which made it a fitting home for public stargazing for over 30 years.

Visiting Planetron

Planetron is no longer active as a planetarium or observatory, so there are no public shows or telescope sessions to visit today. Anyone interested in stargazing in Drenthe should check current listings for other observatories and astronomy clubs in the region before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

Although Planetron's own dome has closed, the night sky above Dwingeloo hasn't gone anywhere. If you've named a star through Star Register, you can find its coordinates and browse the wider sky in our star catalogue - and any working observatory in the region can help you locate it.