9:51pm Tuesday 5th February 2008
STAR novelist Terry Pratchett will open the UK's largest planetarium at Winchester's INTECH Science Centre next month.
The popular science fiction and children's author will officially unveil the new £650,000 facility on Wednesday, March 19, before it's opened to the public two days later on Good Friday (March 21).
Bosses at the Morn Hill attraction said a planetarium had been a burning ambition since opening the science centre in 2002. The 176-seat theatre will feature a variety of astrology shows, including presenter-led displays for schools, licensed pre-recorded films and movies on topical space events, created by INTECH themselves.
Phil Winfield, INTECH director, said: "Terry Pratchett is a keen amateur astronomer and he was very excited about it.
"This is a unique facility for Winchester and to have the biggest planetarium built right here on our doorstep is a fantastic coup to have achieved. It puts Winchester on the map for something other than the cathedral."
For more information visit www.intech-uk.com
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