Qatar’s first planetarium has opened as part of the Katara Cultural Village in Doha, a location blending education, entertainment and interactivity to appeal to all age groups.

The Al Thuraya Planetarium is a high-tech facility with a 22m (72.2ft) screen equipped with state-of-the-art digital projectors for 2D and 3D tutorial shows and space for 200 seats in the auditorium. Using a Digistar digital theatre system, the planetarium will be able to broadcast and share live presentations with other domes that also use this system.

As well as the Solar System and beyond, information about Earth Science is also presented in Arabic and English, while a museum displays astronomical figures and models of planets, space shuttle craft and astronaut suits. The 2,240sq m (7,350sq ft) facility also includes a large terrace overlooking the sea.

Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti said that the cultural village wanted to educate young people in different cultural and scientific fields, to help diversify their knowledge and understanding.

"The planetarium will take visitors on a journey around the galaxies of the universe in a simplified manner that fits children and adults in two languages – English and Arabic," he added.

Last year the planetarium signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Oman Oil Development Company to train Qatari youths in the field of planetariums and managing astronomy domes. The opening of Al Thuraya coincided with the signing of another memorandum, this time of co-operation, with the Qatar Satellite Company Es’hailsat, to share expertise and to operate the planetarium. The co-operation will include delivering lectures and workshops for school and university students to raise their interest in this field.

The name Al Thuraya comes from the cluster of seven bright stars, the Pleiades M45 (known in Arabic as Thuraya, or Seven Sisters), which held great significance for ancient Arabs.