Space invaders: 'Armed men' seize Moscow planetarium

SKY NIGHTLY

by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) March 26, 2008
Armed men on Wednesday seized the Moscow Planetarium, a futuristic silver dome on a valuable plot of land, as a long-running property dispute came to a head, the building's director said.

"Twelve armed men entered by force, threw workers out onto the street and barricaded themselves in," planetarium director Igor Mikitasov told the Echo of Moscow radio station.

He blamed the raid on Moscow City Hall, which owns 61 percent of the building to Mikitasov's 39 percent, RIA Novosti news agency reported. A city spokeswoman told the agency the guards acted legally and were not armed.

If the raid succeeds, Mikitasov told Vesti-24 television, the planetarium will be sold off and "fall into the hands of a private firm that will be able to create whatever it wants with it, from a casino to an entertainment centre".

The planetarium was built in the 1920s and closed in 1994 for repairs. It never reopened as Mikitasov and Moscow City Hall argued over ownership and payment for the work done.

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SKY NIGHTLY

2008 National Dark-Sky Week Celebration

Tucson AZ (SPX) Mar 19, 2008
Observance of the sixth annual National Dark-Sky Week will take place March 29 through April 4. Founded in 2003 by Jennifer Barlow, the event highlights concern for increasing light pollution-the "glow" from outdoor lights that washes out the stars in the night sky.

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