THE FIRST ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF VIETNAM TO OPEN IN NHA TRANG NEXT YEAR
With construction almost finished near the central area of Hon Chong – Khanh Hoa’s, and indeed, Vietnams first astronomical observatory is scheduled to officially open in March 2017. According to local experts, this area is also one of the best places in Vietnam to gaze at the heavens.
Costing nearly 60 billion Vietnam Dong (2.6 million USD), the observatory consists of a 9-meter wide dome and a modern astronomical telescope that is 0.5 meters in diameter. The building has a capacity of 60 people and will be open to the public. A unique place for astronomical observation, the observatory aims to promote astronomy to students, locals and tourists and will display regular science shows, movies, and information related to the Cosmos. Young children and students who have an interest in pursuing a career in this field will benefit greatly from the observatory, while amateur stargazers will be able to get an amazing view of the stars and constellations due to the clear skies above the city for most of the year.
According to the Vietnam National Satellite Centre (VNSC), the construction is in the final stages, and will be ready for the first trial run by Tet Holiday in late January 2017, before the official opening next year (March 2017). In addition to the Hon Chong observatory, The Vietnam National Satellite Centre is building another observatory inside The Vietnam Space Museum – Hòa Lạc High-Tech Park (Hanoi) that is scheduled to be completed in 2018. Both observatories, and the Museum are important components of the VNSC project – the largest national scientific project to date, with an investment of up to 120 billion dong.
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