Sharjah Centre for Space Sciences and Astronomy to offer courses and research facilities

The region’s largest planetarium has sparked a revival of interest in studying space in the Emirates.

The Sharjah Centre for Space Sciences and Astronomy in University City, which is set to open this month, will offer educational programmes as well as research and studies taking place in its special labs. Inside the 209-seat dome-shaped projection hall is a star ball, a Japanese optical instrument that emits a brilliant star field of more than 10 million individual “stars”, combined with seven special projectors for the Sun, Moon and five planets visible from Earth, to produce a breathtaking interactive model of the observable universe, extending up to 13.7 billion light years away.

Another planetarium inside the Sharjah Science Museum has 60 interactive displays suitable for all ages. It plays several shows, including one for children that features a Moon exploration and one for adults that encompasses a journey through the solar system, with discussion of the location of the stars and how some of their titles were originally Arabic.

To learn more about astronomy and the Islamic world’s innovation related to the stars, Sun and Moon, head to the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. A stroll through the science and innovation gallery gives insight into how timings of the prayers, the direction of the Qibla of Mecca and the shape of the Moon were all measured by our Muslim ancestors. It also explains how various timekeeping challenges were solved through trigonometry. Six of the world’s modern trigonometric functions, such as tangent and cotangent, owe their origins and Arabic names to Muslim scholars.

One of the innovations is the intricate “astrolabe”, a measuring tool described by the Greeks but perfected by Muslims. It helped establish the time of day and night, measured the movements of the stars and determined directions during travel.

The museums are open Saturday to Thursday from 8am to 8pm, and Fridays from 4pm to 8pm. Tickets cost Dh10 for adults and Dh5 for children. For more information, visit www.sharjahmuseums.ae.