National Museum Opens New Planetarium Exhibit

Viewers will be able to appreciate their science through customary practices and belief systems as the National Museum of the Philippines (NM) opens its newest exhibition which focuses on Filipino indigenous peoples’ astronomy at the National Planetarium in Manila.

Juanito, the young Filipino space explorer will guide viewers through constellations, planets, the big bang theory and their correspondences with the observations made by traditional knowledge holders in local communities. He will be joined by his friends who will point to interesting Filipino astronomy. These supplements the fee paying shows in the dome.

NM Assistant Director Ana Labrador and Acting Assistant Director Angel Bautista led the opening of the exhibition with Dr. Armando Lee (former officer of Philippine Astronomical Society), Mr. Yoshikatsu Chikira (provider of the digital projector for planetarium shows) and Mr. Albert Avellana and Ms. Lui Bacaltos of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc (MFPI). The MFPI partly funded this exhibition upgrade.

Planetarium is located behind the Rizal monument at the Park in Manila, next to the Concert at the Park open-air theater. Admission is free.

Planetarium shows are for children aged 4 years old and above.

For more information about the shows, please call the National Planetarium at (02) 5277889, Monday-Friday, 8 am-12 noon, 1-5 pm. Or email at nmplanetarium1975@gmail.com. (NM/PIA-NCR/JEG)