Gimhae Astronomical Observatory

* Gimhae Astronomical Observatory, which resolves the curiosity of the general public about celestial bodies and the universe *<br /><br />Gimhae Astronomical Observatory was promoted as part of the Millennium commemoration project in December 1998 to resolve the curiosity of the general public about celestial bodies and the universe, provide dreams and hopes to growing youth, and offer romance and memories to citizens. It opened on February 1, 2002. The site area is 1,996 pyeong, and the building area is 460 pyeong. The building has two floors, and the observatory's shape is elliptical, symbolizing King Suro (首露王), the founder of the Gaya Confederacy, who was born from an egg. The facilities are largely divided into the exhibition hall, observation hall, and lecture hall. The exhibition hall consists of a planetarium and an exhibition room. The planetarium has a dome-shaped screen with a diameter of 8m and a planetarium projector that reproduces the night sky stars. It shows educational videos that help understand the universe, such as seasonal constellations and solar system exploration. The exhibition room, a round steel structure with a diameter of 20m, features Magic Vision that shows the history of astronomical observation in Korea in 3D, a gravity experiment device to measure one's weight on each planet in the solar system, and 10 astronomical education exhibition devices. The observation hall is a facility where people can directly see stars with their own eyes through telescopes. It is equipped with four small telescopes, including the main large refracting telescope and reflecting telescope.<br /><br />* Gimhae Astronomical Observatory and the Legend of King Kim Suro *<br /><br />The shape of Gimhae Astronomical Observatory is egg-shaped. The observatory's egg-like shape originates from King Kim Suro, the founder of the Gaya Confederacy formed in the Gimhae area around 1000 BC, who was born from an egg. King Suro's queen, Heo Hwang-ok, is known to have been a princess from Ayuta in India. It can be sufficiently inferred that when Queen Heo came to the Gaya Confederacy by boat without advanced navigation equipment, she navigated by looking at the stars. There is a historical fact that a prince of the Gaya Confederacy built a Cheomseongdae (observatory) on the summit of Jinrye Fortress to observe the heavens, and that place is still called Bibidan, meaning a place to see stars. Based on these various historical facts, it can be seen that Gaya, an ancient state formed around the Gimhae area, had a very close relationship with stars. From the top of Bunseongsan Mountain, where the observatory is located, you can see the entire view of Gimhae City at a glance. In particular, the night view of Gimhae City seen at night when stars can be observed is very spectacular.