|[!--empirenews.page--]|[!--empirenews.page--]|The 38,164-square-meter planetarium, which consists of three parts for three celestial bodies -- the Oculus, the Inverted Dome and the Sphere -- will be the world’s largest of its kind once completed. It is located at the intersection of Lingang Avenue and Huanhu North 3rd Road near the beautiful Dishui Lake, which is about 1 hour away from the city center.[!--empirenews.page--]|A 23-meter dome theater and an 18-meter high planetarium hall for various educational and entertainment shows about astronomy are included in the main building.[!--empirenews.page--]|Outside the main structure, the planetarium boasts one public observatory (with a 1-meter-diameter telescope) that allows high-definition observation of the surface of the moon and planets, a youth camp area that offers observational activities, and a solar tower equipped with optical devices that can show breathtaking astronomical phenomenon such as sunspots and solar prominence. Moreover, there will be a big astronomical garden which will contain many traditional astronomical instruments and some sculptures about astronomy[!--empirenews.page--]|The design of the planetarium draws inspiration from orbital motion. Each of the building’s three principal forms - the Oculus, the Inverted Dome and the Sphere - act as an astronomical instrument, tracking the sun, moon and stars and reminding visitors that our conception of time originates in distant astronomical objects, according to Ennead Architect, the New York City-based architectural firm which won the international competition to design the Shanghai Planetarium.[!--empirenews.page--]| Each of the building’s three principal forms - the Oculus, the Inverted Dome and the Sphere