International Planetarium Representatives Meet in Jena

On occasion of the ZEISS Experience Days, the company presented its new ZEISS VELVET LED digital projector.

Almost 100 planetarium representatives from the USA, South America, Malaysia, India and Europe traveled to the event at ZEISS’s own dome to obtain comprehensive information about the video projector with LED lighting.

The semiconductor light sources significantly improve color rendering in comparison to the previous halogen lamps. In combination with the world’s highest contrast, the third generation of digital ZEISS VELVET projectors still delivers an absolutely black image background. The digital projections can be coupled with the starry sky of an optical-mechanical planetarium projector. This is necessary in order to reproduce the brilliance of the analog starry sky in combination with digital overlays. This hybrid planetarium solution enables planetarium shows that help visitors better understand and appreciate the wonders of the night sky.

Between two and eleven ZEISS VELVET projectors are used for a full-dome system. Each projector generates a partial image on the dome. The high-contrast and bright colors of the new light sources make the images on the dome appear three-dimensional. In addition, ZEISS VELVET LED projectors prevent blurring, visible blends, various brightness levels and color deviations between the individual partial images.

The LED light sources have a nominal service life of around 20,000 hours and are immediately ready for operation when switched on. This enables most planetariums to operate for over ten years and to save over 1,000 Euros per year per projector compared to lamp-based models. This also means lower total operating costs compared to many other projection systems.

The participants also got an insight into how the projectors are produced. The ZEISS Experience Days are followed by a two-day forum on the software used for astronomical presentations.

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 5.8 billion euros in its four segments Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (status: 30 September 2018).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world’s leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future far beyond the optics and optoelectronics industries. The company’s significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS’ technology and market leadership.

With approximately 30,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 60 of its own sales and service companies, more than 30 production sites and around 25 development sites. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com