SONGKHLA, July 26 (TNA) – Her Royal Highness Princess
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Thursday presided over the opening ceremony of an
astronomical observatory in the southern province of Songkhla.
The Songkhla Regional Observatory operated by National
Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) is the first of its kind in
the country’s southern region and the third regional observatory. 
After the opening ceremony, the Princess visited the
full-dome digital planetarium and observed planets with a 0.7-metre caliber
telescope.
The planetarium also houses five smaller telescopes along
the corridors.
According to NARIT, the observatory which is located in a
prime location to study the southern celestial sphere will be opened for the
public on August 1.
Sitting atop on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Thailand and
Songkhla Lake, the observatory allows visitors to observe objects in the
southern celestial sphere much more clearly and astronomic phenomenon in the
northern region during the rainy season.
NARIT says the latest observatory will help promote interest
in the astronomical study. (TNA)
