Simply space! How is the planetarium Lakhta Center
In 2017, the NBA star Shaquille O'Neill nearly turned the foundations of the modern world view, having doubted that the Earth is round. “I constantly travel from Florida to California, so it’s flat for me. After all, I do not move up and down at an angle of 360 degrees. Are you saying that China is under us? This is not true. The land is flat, ”the basketball player justified his position. True, he later admitted that in this way he trolled his colleague from Cleveland, Kairi Irving, who had also expressed doubts about the shape of the Earth before.
Fortunately, in the world at all times there were many much more inquisitive minds. Therefore, the heliocentric model of the world appeared in the Renaissance. And, despite the fact that the Copernican teachings were burned at the stake for a very long time, it eventually won.
')
When an understanding comes to the scientist how something is arranged, it is immediately desirable to turn this “something” into a model in order to explain the theory and transfer knowledge. So the first planetarium, later called Copernicus, appeared. Of course, mechanical. The principle is elementary: with the help of a set of shafts and gears, planetary balls move around the central solar globe with the same relative speeds and distances as in the sky.
Visually, but not spectacular. Therefore, the prototype of modern planetariums was their other kind - the sphere, inside which viewers observe the stars and constellations drawn on the moving inner surface of the dome. This construction was called the Ptolemaic planetarium. An example is the Great Gottorp Globe of Peter I exhibited in the Kunstkamera.
This is very similar to the planetariums to which we are accustomed. Only here, with the accuracy of the transmission of the location of stars and planets, there was a problem that was solved in the beginning of the 20th century. This required another small revolution - this time in thinking, because the idea that it is better not to highlight the stars on the moving dome, but to invent them on a fixed spherical screen came to the inventors not immediately. Only in 1919, the German mechanical engineer Walter Bowersfeld proposed this breakthrough idea, which in 1924 was implemented by Carl Zeiss. The heart of the project was a special optical-mechanical projector, called Zeiss I.
The difference between a planetarium of a new type and its predecessors is the ability to reproduce an exact map of the starry sky visible from any point on the earth's surface. To do this, in the "star car" images of stars are created by tiny holes in the copper foil. The light passing through them is transmitted to the dome-screen with the help of multiple projectors. A little later, Zeiss I was improved. Zeiss II already contained two spheres, one of which projected the northern heavenly hemisphere, and the second - the southern one.
In this form, the planetarium has reached our days, and in most of the astronomical scientific and educational objects such star machines work - somewhere improved, somewhere not really.
A new wave in the development of planetariums introduced the emergence of digital technology.
The demonstration of the starry sky is now complemented by full-domed video, laser shows, and in some new planetariums they completely abandoned the use of star machines, replacing them with digital or laser video projectors transmitting the image generated by the computer.
The advantage of a fully digital planetariums - a relatively low price with high entertainment. But experts are inclined to attribute even the most advanced versions of such objects to cinemas with a hemispherical screen that have no special relation to science. The fact is that not a single projection system has yet reached the quality of a star sky image comparable to a star machine. It's simple: the human eye even distinguishes stars with very small angular sizes - smaller than the pixel of the projector of the highest resolution. So, these stars will not be able to reproduce without a high-quality star car.
Another thing is that the star machine is not able to reproduce anything but stars. Therefore, in the Lakhta Center Planetarium, it was decided to combine the work of the traditional star machine with the capabilities of the digital superkino.
Before you get acquainted with the equipment of the planetarium of Lakhta Center, you should look at it from the outside. This is really a spectacle, because the 19-meter sparkling ball of the star hall will “float” in the air, slightly protruding from the plane of the glass facade of the MFZ atrium.
The ball is assembled from polished triangular stainless sheets on a tubular structure and rests on a supporting steel column. Its facade is made of curved glass, between it and the planetarium ball there is a gap of 1.5 meters.
The complexity of implementing such an architectural and technical solution is justified by the visual effect - it will be amazing.
In order for the ball to “land” so smoothly and beautifully into the glass surface of the atrium's facade, it was necessary to make 268 thermally curved glass for the niche - each of them was given a given shape. But visually, these are the same glasses as in the entire space of the Atrium - the same in terms of the quality of transparency and the absence of distortion.
For this purpose, a bending process is used, based on the ability of glass heated to a temperature of 600–700 ° C to become “flowable” and slowly deform under the weight of its own weight, taking the form of a supporting surface with a given geometry. At the same time the glass sheet keeps integrity and smoothness.
The decoration of the facade of the planetarium globe is designed brightly and stylishly. On the surface of 1,223 curved triangular sheets of stainless steel, polished to a shine.
These triangles will be installed in the last place - carefully and in white gloves. They will create a "cosmic" impression of the object.
The Lakhta Center Planetarium is not only a star hall, but also a vast public space around it, which in itself can be a point of attraction.
Like any worthy attention spectacle, the planetarium in Lahta begins with a hanger. More precisely - with an automatic wardrobe. Automatic means quick: there is enough time only to find out the schedule of the next impressions, which will be broadcast on monitors located in this zone.
Passing inside and buying tickets, visitors no longer manage their lives until the end of the session. The public area is designed to guide people along the path chosen by the designers. This is the most interesting way: here is the zone for photo shoots; and audio-video studios; and server with a large panoramic window - you can see with your own eyes how the planetarium’s computer heart beats; here and media screens created using flexible OLED-panels.
Due to the MultiTouch technology with interactive applications, even on one screen, several visitors can interact with the video wall: play educational games, watch directories or get acquainted with presentations and infographics.
In the waiting room - the final part of the foyer - dim lights, there are media screens with dimly changing static images on the walls, soft music sounds - all to prepare a person for the most important thing: behind this zone is the entrance to the star room.
As you can see, the star car is in place, it is immediately clear - we are in the very present planetarium. This is one of the most advanced optical-mechanical projectors in the world today - the Japanese Ohira Tech Megastar-IIA.
The star car of the Lakhta Center planetarium is a whole complex consisting of a star ball and additional optical-mechanical projectors of the Sun, the Moon and planets. In addition to the billion stars, the largest of which are colored and twinkling, Ohira Tech Megastar can realistically display nebulae.
To correctly display the starry sky, the center of the machine must be in the center of the geometric screen. Therefore, the star ball will be installed exactly in the center of the dome on the elevator to lift the projector to the level of the horizon of the dome and lower it as low as possible when it is not in use.
But no matter how advanced the star machine is, to create world-class scientific, educational and entertainment programs, it needs to be supplemented with a system of digital projectors. In the Lakhta Center planetarium, this is not even an addition: the mechanics and the figure are in equal rights, and it is the complex use of the most advanced equipment of both types that makes the object unique. The most accurate projection of the starry sky is formed by the star machine, while larger objects, artificial aircraft, visual effects and much more are digital, created by a projection system with a resolution of 8K along the meridian, which uses 10 SONY GTZ280 laser projectors.
Five projectors illuminate the lower tier of the dome, four - the top, and one forms the image at the zenith. Thus, a total resolution of 48,483,533 pixels is achieved.
Of course, it’s important not only how to show, but also what. Sky Explorer astro simulator from the French company RCA Cosmos, which manages content playback from projectors, synchronizes it with the image, the emerging star machine, and, if necessary, can control the starboll answers this question. At the same time, the operating system of the star machine control can interact with Sky Explorer in the opposite direction. This is the unique hybridity of the Lakhta Center planetarium. The presenter directly during the show from the tablet can control what the viewers see, for example, to show the view of the Earth from space and demonstrate its internal structure.
Take a trip to the solar system.
Or fly through the three-dimensional model of the galaxy, look at it from the side. And this is the scientific model of the Milky Way, which can be displayed in different wave spectra and includes many details, such as dust and gas.
Light emission, its scattering and attenuation are simulated in real time in accordance with the spectral characteristics of the objects, which gives an accurate and spectacular picture.
You can see how the black hole works. Also with the help of a scientific model that includes dynamic realistic distortion of space-time.
Black Hole: Expectation and Reality
The Sky Explorer library includes a satellite database, 400 thousand asteroids (ASTORB from Lowel Observatory) with real-time display of objects. And all this is not fixed content - the library is updated regularly.
Base of artificial satellites of the Earth and base of asteroids
And you can just watch cartoons.
For greater reliability, Sky Explorer has a twin - a backup full-domed digital system, with which you can play video from a computer using projectors of the main system. It is implemented on a specialized integrated solution from the company Front Pictures, which is based on the Screenberry360 Media server.
In addition to the questions “How?” And “What?”, There is another question “Where?”. The dome screen of the planetarium is far from the largest - 14 meters, but, like the other components of the object, it is super-technological. It is made of ultralight perforated material by Astro-tec using Ulteria Seam technology, which involves the joining of the “butt-to-butt” screen plates, which makes its surface almost seamless. This is the first such screen in Russia.
The dome is not installed on the columns, as is usually done, but suspended on chains.
Thanks to this solution, we managed to place a lot of equipment in the star room: 10 Sky Explorer projectors, 6 laser projectors, 3 video cameras, 5 auto calibration cameras, a 14.2 Meyer Sound hi-end surround sound system.
What is so much for? For versatility. A planetarium with such equipment can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a super-technological platform for events. The mechanism of scene transformation is installed here, a part of the seats automatically folds down, forming a flat surface.
For example, you can hold concerts here - there is a mixing console, a system of microphones, the sound of which is displayed in the place of the operator and the recording studio, provides all the necessary interfaces for connecting the equipment of musicians. The sound will be lively and deep, as on the basis of acoustic modeling of the interior of the star room in the decoration it was decided to use panels veneered with wood with non-repeating relief.
Well, what a concert without stage effects? Controlled lighting devices are installed on a removable farm, and the laser show with a smoke machine completes this set of tools.
But still, the planetarium in the first place is a journey to the stars. So we occupy places, we are fastened and - Don't Panic, as they say in the most famous guidebook on the galaxy!
***
We thank for the help in preparing the material for specialists of JSC IFC Lakhta Center: Igor Romanenko, lead construction control engineer, Dmitry Matveyev, head of metal and facade design, Gelen Ermakov, chief architect-architect; and also - colleagues from AviLab - Alexander Zhirnov and Pyotr Brusentsev.
Fortunately, in the world at all times there were many much more inquisitive minds. Therefore, the heliocentric model of the world appeared in the Renaissance. And, despite the fact that the Copernican teachings were burned at the stake for a very long time, it eventually won.
')
How to model the universe
When an understanding comes to the scientist how something is arranged, it is immediately desirable to turn this “something” into a model in order to explain the theory and transfer knowledge. So the first planetarium, later called Copernicus, appeared. Of course, mechanical. The principle is elementary: with the help of a set of shafts and gears, planetary balls move around the central solar globe with the same relative speeds and distances as in the sky.
Visually, but not spectacular. Therefore, the prototype of modern planetariums was their other kind - the sphere, inside which viewers observe the stars and constellations drawn on the moving inner surface of the dome. This construction was called the Ptolemaic planetarium. An example is the Great Gottorp Globe of Peter I exhibited in the Kunstkamera.
This is very similar to the planetariums to which we are accustomed. Only here, with the accuracy of the transmission of the location of stars and planets, there was a problem that was solved in the beginning of the 20th century. This required another small revolution - this time in thinking, because the idea that it is better not to highlight the stars on the moving dome, but to invent them on a fixed spherical screen came to the inventors not immediately. Only in 1919, the German mechanical engineer Walter Bowersfeld proposed this breakthrough idea, which in 1924 was implemented by Carl Zeiss. The heart of the project was a special optical-mechanical projector, called Zeiss I.
The difference between a planetarium of a new type and its predecessors is the ability to reproduce an exact map of the starry sky visible from any point on the earth's surface. To do this, in the "star car" images of stars are created by tiny holes in the copper foil. The light passing through them is transmitted to the dome-screen with the help of multiple projectors. A little later, Zeiss I was improved. Zeiss II already contained two spheres, one of which projected the northern heavenly hemisphere, and the second - the southern one.
In this form, the planetarium has reached our days, and in most of the astronomical scientific and educational objects such star machines work - somewhere improved, somewhere not really.
Digit vs. Mechanics
A new wave in the development of planetariums introduced the emergence of digital technology.
The demonstration of the starry sky is now complemented by full-domed video, laser shows, and in some new planetariums they completely abandoned the use of star machines, replacing them with digital or laser video projectors transmitting the image generated by the computer.
The advantage of a fully digital planetariums - a relatively low price with high entertainment. But experts are inclined to attribute even the most advanced versions of such objects to cinemas with a hemispherical screen that have no special relation to science. The fact is that not a single projection system has yet reached the quality of a star sky image comparable to a star machine. It's simple: the human eye even distinguishes stars with very small angular sizes - smaller than the pixel of the projector of the highest resolution. So, these stars will not be able to reproduce without a high-quality star car.
Another thing is that the star machine is not able to reproduce anything but stars. Therefore, in the Lakhta Center Planetarium, it was decided to combine the work of the traditional star machine with the capabilities of the digital superkino.
Ball in the wall - uniqueness begins with the appearance
Before you get acquainted with the equipment of the planetarium of Lakhta Center, you should look at it from the outside. This is really a spectacle, because the 19-meter sparkling ball of the star hall will “float” in the air, slightly protruding from the plane of the glass facade of the MFZ atrium.
The ball is assembled from polished triangular stainless sheets on a tubular structure and rests on a supporting steel column. Its facade is made of curved glass, between it and the planetarium ball there is a gap of 1.5 meters.
The complexity of implementing such an architectural and technical solution is justified by the visual effect - it will be amazing.
Igor Romanenko, leading construction control engineer:
“As conceived by the architects, the balloon-planetarium“ soars ”in the air. The task of the designers was to "hide" the place of support, fixing the ball to the ceilings. Visitors to the complex will not see it. The mounts are hidden in the central pillar and in the bridges-entrances inside the ball on the fifth floor. ”
In order for the ball to “land” so smoothly and beautifully into the glass surface of the atrium's facade, it was necessary to make 268 thermally curved glass for the niche - each of them was given a given shape. But visually, these are the same glasses as in the entire space of the Atrium - the same in terms of the quality of transparency and the absence of distortion.
For this purpose, a bending process is used, based on the ability of glass heated to a temperature of 600–700 ° C to become “flowable” and slowly deform under the weight of its own weight, taking the form of a supporting surface with a given geometry. At the same time the glass sheet keeps integrity and smoothness.
Dmitry Matveyev, head of the direction of metal and facade structures:
- For the glazing of the niche in which the planetarium “hovers”, a special manipulator mechanism was developed, which was controlled remotely. It is mounted on the design of the balloon-planetarium itself, and served for the installation of glass in hard-to-reach parts of the niche.
The decoration of the facade of the planetarium globe is designed brightly and stylishly. On the surface of 1,223 curved triangular sheets of stainless steel, polished to a shine.
These triangles will be installed in the last place - carefully and in white gloves. They will create a "cosmic" impression of the object.
Gelena Ermakova, Chief Architect Specialist:
- Diode lamps are installed in the tops of the triangles of the outer decoration of the ball. Changing the tonality and brightness, they highlight the sphere and create the effect of the starry sky on the surface of the planetarium globe. We can say that in our planetarium you can see the stars not only inside but also outside.
The Lakhta Center Planetarium is not only a star hall, but also a vast public space around it, which in itself can be a point of attraction.
Road to the stars
Like any worthy attention spectacle, the planetarium in Lahta begins with a hanger. More precisely - with an automatic wardrobe. Automatic means quick: there is enough time only to find out the schedule of the next impressions, which will be broadcast on monitors located in this zone.
Passing inside and buying tickets, visitors no longer manage their lives until the end of the session. The public area is designed to guide people along the path chosen by the designers. This is the most interesting way: here is the zone for photo shoots; and audio-video studios; and server with a large panoramic window - you can see with your own eyes how the planetarium’s computer heart beats; here and media screens created using flexible OLED-panels.
Due to the MultiTouch technology with interactive applications, even on one screen, several visitors can interact with the video wall: play educational games, watch directories or get acquainted with presentations and infographics.
In the waiting room - the final part of the foyer - dim lights, there are media screens with dimly changing static images on the walls, soft music sounds - all to prepare a person for the most important thing: behind this zone is the entrance to the star room.
Unique hybrid
As you can see, the star car is in place, it is immediately clear - we are in the very present planetarium. This is one of the most advanced optical-mechanical projectors in the world today - the Japanese Ohira Tech Megastar-IIA.
The star car of the Lakhta Center planetarium is a whole complex consisting of a star ball and additional optical-mechanical projectors of the Sun, the Moon and planets. In addition to the billion stars, the largest of which are colored and twinkling, Ohira Tech Megastar can realistically display nebulae.
To correctly display the starry sky, the center of the machine must be in the center of the geometric screen. Therefore, the star ball will be installed exactly in the center of the dome on the elevator to lift the projector to the level of the horizon of the dome and lower it as low as possible when it is not in use.
But no matter how advanced the star machine is, to create world-class scientific, educational and entertainment programs, it needs to be supplemented with a system of digital projectors. In the Lakhta Center planetarium, this is not even an addition: the mechanics and the figure are in equal rights, and it is the complex use of the most advanced equipment of both types that makes the object unique. The most accurate projection of the starry sky is formed by the star machine, while larger objects, artificial aircraft, visual effects and much more are digital, created by a projection system with a resolution of 8K along the meridian, which uses 10 SONY GTZ280 laser projectors.
Five projectors illuminate the lower tier of the dome, four - the top, and one forms the image at the zenith. Thus, a total resolution of 48,483,533 pixels is achieved.
Just cosmos
Of course, it’s important not only how to show, but also what. Sky Explorer astro simulator from the French company RCA Cosmos, which manages content playback from projectors, synchronizes it with the image, the emerging star machine, and, if necessary, can control the starboll answers this question. At the same time, the operating system of the star machine control can interact with Sky Explorer in the opposite direction. This is the unique hybridity of the Lakhta Center planetarium. The presenter directly during the show from the tablet can control what the viewers see, for example, to show the view of the Earth from space and demonstrate its internal structure.
Take a trip to the solar system.
Or fly through the three-dimensional model of the galaxy, look at it from the side. And this is the scientific model of the Milky Way, which can be displayed in different wave spectra and includes many details, such as dust and gas.
Light emission, its scattering and attenuation are simulated in real time in accordance with the spectral characteristics of the objects, which gives an accurate and spectacular picture.
You can see how the black hole works. Also with the help of a scientific model that includes dynamic realistic distortion of space-time.
Black Hole: Expectation and Reality
The Sky Explorer library includes a satellite database, 400 thousand asteroids (ASTORB from Lowel Observatory) with real-time display of objects. And all this is not fixed content - the library is updated regularly.
Base of artificial satellites of the Earth and base of asteroids
And you can just watch cartoons.
For greater reliability, Sky Explorer has a twin - a backup full-domed digital system, with which you can play video from a computer using projectors of the main system. It is implemented on a specialized integrated solution from the company Front Pictures, which is based on the Screenberry360 Media server.
No seams
In addition to the questions “How?” And “What?”, There is another question “Where?”. The dome screen of the planetarium is far from the largest - 14 meters, but, like the other components of the object, it is super-technological. It is made of ultralight perforated material by Astro-tec using Ulteria Seam technology, which involves the joining of the “butt-to-butt” screen plates, which makes its surface almost seamless. This is the first such screen in Russia.
The dome is not installed on the columns, as is usually done, but suspended on chains.
Thanks to this solution, we managed to place a lot of equipment in the star room: 10 Sky Explorer projectors, 6 laser projectors, 3 video cameras, 5 auto calibration cameras, a 14.2 Meyer Sound hi-end surround sound system.
Stars on the dome and on the stage
What is so much for? For versatility. A planetarium with such equipment can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a super-technological platform for events. The mechanism of scene transformation is installed here, a part of the seats automatically folds down, forming a flat surface.
For example, you can hold concerts here - there is a mixing console, a system of microphones, the sound of which is displayed in the place of the operator and the recording studio, provides all the necessary interfaces for connecting the equipment of musicians. The sound will be lively and deep, as on the basis of acoustic modeling of the interior of the star room in the decoration it was decided to use panels veneered with wood with non-repeating relief.
Well, what a concert without stage effects? Controlled lighting devices are installed on a removable farm, and the laser show with a smoke machine completes this set of tools.
But still, the planetarium in the first place is a journey to the stars. So we occupy places, we are fastened and - Don't Panic, as they say in the most famous guidebook on the galaxy!
***
We thank for the help in preparing the material for specialists of JSC IFC Lakhta Center: Igor Romanenko, lead construction control engineer, Dmitry Matveyev, head of metal and facade design, Gelen Ermakov, chief architect-architect; and also - colleagues from AviLab - Alexander Zhirnov and Pyotr Brusentsev.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/447764/
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