Johannesburg is huge and some of the city center is enjoying a revival. The City Hall and the Newtown Cultural Precinct has been completely modernized. The streets have been freshened up with stylish lighting, paving, and small wooden sculptures on concrete pedestals.
Beyond this to the north lies the unspoiled Magaliesberg region. People come here for a break amid mountain scenery, farmlands, and quiet country roads. Close by is a World Heritage Site with a stunningly rich fossil record. It was here that the remains of the first hominid, Australopithecus, were found, as well as records of the earliest known use of fire.
Built in 1960, the planetarium is one of the most popular places in Johannesburg. Tourists or regular people are taught about the star signs, and the movement of the moon and how it changes in relation to the earth.
The University of the Witwatersrand technically owns the planetarium. But it was set up as a joint project between the City of Johannesburg and the university. A managerial committee set up by the City and the university runs the project.
The university provides about a third of the project's budget.
Although it offers educational programs for students, the planetarium is not part of any academic faculty at the university. Astronomy in South Africa is growing.
The University of Cape Town, University of the North West, University of Durban and Wits have joined a partnership venture with some African universities to train astronomers.
The planetarium works in collaboration with the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, a science exhibition centre, and Flanagan plans to bring Sci-Bono facilitators to help teach astronomy at the planetarium.
Work to set up the planetarium began in 1956. The Festival Committee, Building of the planetarium began in 1959 and on 12 October 1960, the first full-sized planetarium in Africa and the second in the southern hemisphere opened its doors to the public.
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