What to stand closest to the clearest starry sky? You got it! Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has started the design of its first, and the world's highest, planetarium which will begin construction in 2018.

With the support from regional government and local Party committee, experts decided to pursue the full function of the existed Museum of Natural Science, Museum of Technology and the exhibition center, combining the three with the new planetarium to make up a 4-in-1, non-profit integrated museum.

The Tibet planetarium would be richly endowed by nature, with least air or light pollution in sight. With probably the best observation situation provided, the Tibet planetarium could make it possible for both education and research in the same stadium, Wang Junjie, astronomer and head of Tibet Autonomous Region’s Science and Technology Department introduced.

After the planetarium stands, the planetarium will establish a one-meter caliber optical astronomy, with the help from National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC). Wang said the planetarium, with its unique geographic coordinate, would play an important role in variable star observation and time domain astronomy, though it lacks an optical telescope that capable to make into the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON).

In recent years, Tibet has seen several astronomical observatory stations mapped all around the region. Thanks to China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, several planetary studies are set to be launched in Tibet. Lhasa, where the planned planetarium will be stood, will become the center that connects all the stations, providing a professional stance for regional astronomy study and research. “Hopefully some large-scale, cutting-edge designed telescope could locate in Tibet,” Wang said.