Dynamic Earth: Huge new state-of-the-art planetarium to be created

Stargazers will be wowed by a new-look planetarium being created at Dynamic Earth.

The ground-breaking attraction in the heart of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site has been awarded £86,500 by the charity arm of utility giant ScottishPower, which is handing out £1.2m to organisations across the country.

It will be a must-see for astronomy enthusiasts and is expected to be a massive draw for Dynamic Earth, the award winning tented structure at the foot of the Salisbury Crags.

John Simpson, CEO at Dynamic Earth, said: “The Planetarium upgrade and refurbishment is a significant development for us.

“Thanks to the very generous support from the ScottishPower Foundation and other key supporters and sponsors, we’ve almost reached our funding target for the project.

“This means that we’re now in a position to get started and we are very excited to see this launching at the centre later this year.”

Part funded by the Millennium Commission, Dynamic Earth tells the story of planet Earth and how our Earth works, how life has evolved on its differing environments and the future challenges faced by planet Earth.

The state-of-the-art planetarium will transport audiences through the history of the universe, demonstrating how humans have impacted the world and the environmental challenges the planet faces such as climate change, wildfires and shrinking ice caps. The funding will also help create a mobile planetarium programme which will visit schools and remote areas to teach them about the planet and its history.

Other organisations receiving grants include RSPB Scotland, which will deliver a new project to help the declining population of swifts in Edinburgh and beyond.

The ScottishPower Foundation, established in 2013, provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.

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