Another observatory in Hatta Mountains in the planning stage

  DUBAI – Construction of the Dh50 million Al Thuraya Astronomy Center is complete and the facility will have a soft opening on Sept. 15, according to reports. The 2,696-square-meter Al Thuraya observatory located in Al Mushrif Park will have a grand opening in December. The facility houses a telescope with a one-meter diameter mirror, an academy with classrooms and labs, an outside observation deck, a 100-seat theatre, an astronomy shop, a cafe, and a library. There will be landscaped gardens in the shapes of constellations surrounding the observatory. Reports said the Dubai Astronomy Group, which has 7,000 members, is recruiting 40 new employees for the Al Thuraya center. The group said they plan to hold an education program in the center about the Mars 2117 Project, which is a plan by the UAE to build a city on Mars within the next century. Meanwhile, Al Thuraya centre director Hasan Al Hariri said an astronomy resort will be established in the Marmoun desert next year. Al Hariri, who is also chief executive of the Dubai Astronomy Group, said the Marmoun Astronomy Resort is a dark sky reserve where tourists and scientists can observe the sky in complete darkness. An observatory in the Hatta Mountains is also in the planning stage, Al Hariri added. GAC/Expat 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