And with its new 360-degree video projector installed last week, the scientific planetarium is one of the largest in the British Isles.

Inside the planetarium's 100-seater venue at Kingsham Farm, a star projector creates a huge artificial indoor sky which gives an exact replica of the entire universe, and acts as an educational aid and a tourist attraction, showing visitors the deep depths of the solar system.

Patron of the planetarium Sir Patrick Moore said: "The real sky is not always available for inspection, with clouds and rain obscuring the view, but the planetarium's sky can do things the real sky rarely does."

From comets and meteors, to Polar lights or an eclipse of the moon, the planetarium shows you the sky as if you are looking at it from coldest Antarctica, the hot deserts of Africa, from your back garden, or from thousands of years in the future.

For anyone who has ever looked up at a clear night sky and wondered just what was up there, at the planetarium you will learn your way around.

Visitors are told to 'fasten your seat belts for the trip of a lifetime' as the visual wonders appear almost in reach above their heads.

But if you want to do more than stargazing, the planetarium holds evening and weekend shows, offering the chance to learn about some of the problems of living and working on a space station in earth's orbit or explore the moon and its mountains, valleys and craters.

The new 360-degree 'all-dome' projector shows moving video images which fill the dome of the main auditorium, so the audience can feel the action happening all around them.

Principal lecturer at the planetarium John Mason said: "We can show you the constellation figures and demonstrate how the stars and planets move.

"The planets shift against the starry background; for example, Mars loops the loop, taking many weeks to do so. In the planetarium, Mars can perform the same manoeuvre in a couple of minutes.

"The new all-dome video will give us that extra wow factor."

There is also a library stacked full of astronomy books, Nasa videos, a display of meteorites – and the planetarium even has links to a giant satellite which provides real-time weather data.

Staff at the planetarium are about to start an intensive fundraising programme to raise £200,000 for an extension to the premises which would provide a multi-function hall to give much-needed space.

Sir Patrick, who celebrated his 85th birthday this month, said: "We need this extension and we need money.

"We've simply got to do it, so spread the word."

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