This initiative aims to disseminate information about planetariums. During this Day planetariums organise shows, lessons, projections, exhibitions and public sky viewing, many of which are free of charge.

In December 1995 a meeting was held at the Serafino Zani Study and Research Center in Lumezzane (Brescia, Italy) to launch a design competition for a logo for the annual “Day of Planetariums”. The members of the judging panel were the astronomer Mario Cavedon, representing the Italian Planetaria’s Friends Association, the architect/designer Liliana Bonomi, representing the Serafino Zani Study and Research Center and Patricia Lipovska, representing the Observatory and Planetarium of Presov (Slovakia).

Mario Cavedon, Astronomer. Photo by Oldani Andrea, 28/04/2004, Civico Planetario Hoepli.

All the designs were examined in advance by the planetarian members of a pre-committee: Jadwiga Biala (Observatory and Planetarium in Olsztyn, Poland), Lars Broman (Nordic Planetarium Association – Broman Planetarium, Falun, Sweden), Stefania Lenzova (Observatory and Planetarium in Presov, Slovakia), Susan Reynolds (International Planetarium Society Mobile Committee – OCM Boces Planetarium, Syracuse, NY, USA) and Zina Sviderskiene (Vilnius Planetarium, Lithuania).

Without knowing the name and country of the authors, each planetarian chose what he or she considered to be the five best designs. Among the total number of designs from four different countries the pre-committee selected fourteen. As established in the contest rules the judges then chose the best design from among the total number selected by the pre-committee.

The design by Genesio Treccani from Lonato (Brescia, Italy) was awarded first prize. His work was chosen because it evokes the complexity of the Universe, and a simple element,a curved line, conveys the idea of a planetarium’s dome. Furthermore, the design lends itself to being used in different sizes: – as a logo, or for posters, brochures, invitations, covers of publications and so on. It could also be adopted by all participants as the logo of the annual “Day of Planetariums”.

The following participants received a special mention: Franco Catellani from Fabbrico (Reggio Emilia, Italy), Sasho Lazarov Chetrokov from Smolyan (Bulgaria), Federica Malgari from Roncadelle (Brescia, Italy), Micalic Pavol from Svidnic (Slovakia), and Jerzy Rafalsky and Stanislav Rokita from Torun (Poland).

It is interesting to note that the name “Day of Planetaria” was suggested by Undine Concannon (director of the London Planetarium) who stressed that the term ‘planetaria’ was more correct than ‘planetariums’. However, in the following years the term ‘planetariums’ was used more frequently by the American community and so the event has become known as ‘International Day of Planetariums’.