The NOX MINIMA dome is part of the project: "Tapirapé: paper 3D planetarium", host by the School of Science and Technology of Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. One of the main objectives of the project is to put young people in touch with observing the sky, offering workshops in schools. Our expectation is that a concrete dome can help these experiences to be multiplied around the world.

The name NOX MINIMA uses two Latin words that, together, mean something like "the smallest  night". We feel as if we were holding a miniature of the night sky in our hands.  So, calmly assemble your dome and notice the charm of the spherical shape, adorned with the beauty of the stars and the lines of the constellations.

Tapirapé is the Tupi name for the Milky Way and means "Path of the Tapir". It is also the name of an indigenous group speaking the Tupi-Guarani language that inhabits central Brazil. The sky of the Southern Hemisphere is full of legends. You can generate the dome with traditional Western figures or with figures of constellations of the original peoples who inhabit Brazil. The figures of Anta (the Tapir), Ema (the Rhea) and Homem Velho (the Old Man) are now available.

This project is an academic contribution to sky observation lovers, teachers and students. Let's put the cell phone aside and meet the stars.

Enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment.