Astronomy fans in Vietnam will be excited to find out that the country’s first observatory will open its doors to visitors next month.
Thanh Nien reports that at the moment, workers are finishing the final touches on Vietnam’s first observatory in Hon Chong, Nha Trang City. Construction on the astronomical facility began back in 2014 as part of a larger project to establish the Vietnam National Satellite Center.
The venue will feature a 0.5-meter optical telescope, a planetarium with 60 seats and a 200-square-meter exhibition space. The newspaper also added that the center’s telescope was produced by Marcon, an Italian company which specializes in astronomical equipment.
The complete cost of the observatory project amounts to VND13 trillion (US$600 million). The facility will open by the end of September and is expected to bolster both local scientific interest and tourism in Nha Trang.
Have a peek inside Vietnam’s first-ever observatory through these photos, courtesy of Thanh Nien, below:
[Photos via Thanh Nien]