planetarium Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun a building housing an instrument for projecting the positions of the planets onto a domed ceiling
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noun an optical device for projecting images of celestial bodies and other astronomical phenomena onto the inner surface of a hemispherical dome
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noun an apparatus or model for representing the solar systems
WordNet
Plan`e*ta"ri*um noun
Etymology
NL.: cf. F.Definitions
An orrery. See Orrery .since the 1930's, orrery has retained its original meaning, but planetarium now refers primarily to a room with a dome-shaped roof, in which images of the night sky are projected from a central projector. The projector itself is also called a planetarium.