The couple Helge and Bodil Pedersen were very interested in astronomy. Solar eclipses were especially high on their wish list when the couple travelled around the world.
Helge Pedersen saw his first solar eclipse in Mauritania in 1973. He was very impressed by this amazing natural phenomenon. Therefore, he had no doubt at all that it was something that he wanted to experience again.
In 1980, Bodil and Helge went to Kenya on a solar eclipse trip. Helge was also in Siberia in 1981 and in Java in 1983. It was during the solar eclipse trip to Java that Bodil and Helge got the same idea of building a planetarium in Denmark.
The desire to give more people the opportunity to experience the beauty of the starry sky and the fascinating universe of astronomy was always conscious in their minds.
To realize the project, Bodil and Helge Pedersen contributed 50 million through the Urania Fund to construct a planetarium. The dream came true when the Planetarium opened it’s doors to the universe on 01th November 1989.
The building is designed by architect Knud Munk.