Illustration of the Eise Eisinga planetarium

The Eise Eisinga planetarium in Franeker, Frisia, the Netherlands.

Eise Jeltes Eisinga was a remarkable man. He was born in 1744 in Franeker, a small village in the Dutch province Frisia. He wasn’t allowed to go to school because he had to work, but that didn’t stop him from publishing a book about the basics of astronomy at only 17 years old, and mastering mathematics and astronomy within a few years. All through self-study in his free time.

Next to that, he built a planetarium in his house, taking up the entire ceiling of his living room. This planetarium still works to this day and is the oldest still working planetarium in the world.

You can find a bigger version where the details are visible on Behance.

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