Cosmodome Mirror Projection

The Cosmodome system was pioneered by scientists at Swinburne University, to provide a more cost-effective method to project digital images on to a dome, by "warping" original fisheye lens images onto a hemispherical mirror to produce a full dome result.

  • Cost Saving - Free Program Downloads

    Without the need for an expensive fisheye lens, this approach is far more economical than fisheye or truncated-fisheye systems for dome projection. This is particularly true now that the main Astronomy software - including Stellarium, Nightshade, Celestia - can be downloaded free of charge from the Web.

  • Projection Flexibility

    The choice of projector can be from a wide range, depending on the dome size, luminosity required, and finance available. In smaller domes, even low-cost projectors will still provide good results and create a 'Wow!' response from the audience. The mirror projection is much more pixel-effective than a comparable fisheye system. Cosmodome's Technical Service can help you choose the most suitable projector.

  • More Audience Space

    The Cosmodome equipment is positioned at the edge of the dome, not in the dome's centre. This mean the best seats in the house are available for larger audiences. This feature can provide greater income in commercial operations.

  • Hybrid Movie Systems for Planetariums

    For planetariums with central star projectors (aka "Ants") that wish to offer full-dome movies, we have developed a special wall-mounted projection system. These have proved highly efficient, and we refer to these as our Hybrid System.

  • Minor Drawbacks

    • Differing Pixel Sizes: Since the projector's square pixels are reflected at different angles off the spherical mirror surface, the shapes and sizes of pixels in different parts of the dome are marginally different.

    • Mirror Fragility: The spherical mirror used is a first surface mirror and hence it is more fragile than a conventional second surface mirror. Extra care needs to be taken when handling the mirror to avoid damaging the surface. In many ways it is similar to a projector lens, the only different being that the mirror is larger.

    • Full Dome Coverage: Whilst it's possible to achieve full dome coverage with this system, the optimal setup is to use a slightly truncated alignment where there are small regions of non projection in the rear of the dome. These regions are significantly smaller than a traditional truncated fisheye system, and if your audience is seated uni-directionally, then these regions are not seen at all.