The ever marvelous Rahmi Koç Museum has just opened Istanbul’s first public planetarium. Although fairly small, with a capacity for just forty people, it certainly lives up to its name: ‘Discovery Globe’. My little cadets loved the idea of stepping into the cool looking domed tent, and once they discovered the amazing acoustics and lounge seats they were hooked, and the show hadn’t even started yet! The film we saw showed a view of Earth from a colony on the moon far in the future. It took us on a trip back in time to see how the surface of our beautiful planet was formed, how dinosaurs lived and possibly died. And with brilliant visuals of a roller coaster ride through lava streams from a volcano, the children were squeeling with glee! There are many different education films on offer, reflecting visions of the sky in night time, and the amazing view of the stars and the Milky Way onto its walls. The new generation digital animations allow the audience to find answers to questions like ‘how would the stars and the Milky Way look without the city lights, how do the planets move, how can we find directions by looking at stars, why are nights longer in winter time and why does the moon change phases?’ in a really entertaining style. The films are normally screened in Turkish, but if you call in advance, to be safe, or even ask at the reception upon arrival at the museum, you can request the English language versions.
You can visit the planetarium without having to enter the museum as a whole, or paying the usual museum fees, and it will cost just 5TL for adults and 3TL for children. However as the museum is flipping marvelous anyway, it’s always worth a visit, and then you can spend the whole day for another 9TL per adult and 4TL for kids.
All in all it’s a real treat, and will give your family discussions a more inspired scientific edge. Although you may have to bone-up on your knowledge to fend off questions like “mummy what does a black hole actually FEEL like?” and “if nothing existed and before anything was, what colour would it be?" good luck!

Opening times: Tuesday - Friday: 10-5 Saturday - Sunday: 10-7
Entrance:  Adult: 9 TL Student: 4.5 TL   
Address: Rahmi M Koç Museum
Hasköy Cad. No: 5
Hasköy 34445 - Istanbul
Tel: (0)212 369 66 00-01-02
Fax: (0)212 369 66 06
Web: http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr