On October 9, 2026, the Planetario de Madrid commemorated its 40th anniversary with the exhibition ‘40 años desvelando el cosmos’, which showcases key advancements in our knowledge of the universe since the center's inauguration in 1986.
Marta Rivera de la Cruz, the delegate for Culture, Tourism and Sports, visited the exhibition and noted that this anniversary serves to “celebrate four decades of curiosity, knowledge, and scientific outreach.” She added, “this exhibition allows us to remember how much we have learned over the years and, at the same time, to highlight the extraordinary work that the Planetario continues to do to bring science closer to all Madrileños.”
The Planetario de Madrid was inaugurated on September 29, 1986, by the Spanish royal family. Its establishment provided the city with a new venue dedicated to scientific dissemination and making knowledge of the universe accessible to the public. Over the past four decades, the center has developed a wide range of programming, including immersive films, exhibitions, astronomy and astrophysics courses, lecture cycles, public telescope observations, concerts, intergenerational workshops, and scientific book presentations, among other activities.
Since its opening, more than 7 million visitors have passed through its facilities, witnessing the evolution of a center that has also accompanied the significant advancements in cosmic knowledge during this period. Additionally, its YouTube channel has garnered over two million views.
The exhibition ‘40 años desvelando el cosmos’ focuses on some of the most important milestones in astronomy and space exploration over the past four decades. The development of large telescopes and space probes has provided unprecedented information about the universe. The analysis of this data by researchers worldwide has transformed scientific knowledge and advanced our understanding of stars, planets, galaxies, and other cosmic phenomena.
This exhibition visually presents some of these advancements through images and content related to various fields of space research, offering visitors a journey through the evolution of scientific knowledge over the last 40 years. Thus, the exhibition not only commemorates the Planetario's journey but also uses its anniversary as a starting point to show the public how our perception of the universe has changed from 1986 to the present.
The Planetario de Madrid is part of the municipal museum network and is under the Directorate General of Libraries, Archives, and Museums. The exhibition has been curated by Telmo Fernández Castro, César González Arranz, J. Eloy Cruz Jiménez, and Fernando Regidor Salazar, with texts and image selection by César González Arranz and Telmo Fernández Castro. The production is a collaboration between the Planetario de Madrid and Airbus.
The exhibition is free to visit in the outdoor hall of the Planetario de Madrid. During the winter schedule, it is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 1:45 PM and from 5:00 PM to 7:45 PM, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10:30 AM to 1:45 PM and from 5:00 PM to 7:45 PM.
