The MP Birla Planetarium has announced its closure while it undergoes a INR300m (US$4.9m, €4.3m, £3.2m) renovation to bring its technology up to date.

The planetarium in Kolkata, India, is going digital, getting rid of the Carl Zeiss projector that has served the attraction for almost 50 years. The German manufacturer Zeiss is providing all the new technology, equipping the planetarium with a Starmaster optical-mechanical projector, nine Velvet digital projectors, a new dome, sound system and new films.

The Zeiss Velvet system has been hailed for achieving exceptional levels of contrast between the black of the universe and the brightness of the stars and planets.

“The new hybrid system features more vivid projection technology that will offer visitors a far richer experience,” said planetarium director Debiprasad Duari.

The planetarium, which opened in 1962, is closing its doors next week and is scheduled to reopen in October. More than 20 million people have visited MP Birla Planetarium, the largest in Asia and second-largest in the world, since it opened.