Many physicists will have been shocked to learn of the forthcoming closure of the London Planetarium, based at Madame Tussauds in central London. The planetarium has inspired countless generations of youngsters to take an interest in astronomy. But from July the venue – renamed the Auditorium – will be home to shows about celebrities, not heavenly bodies. Of course, as a commercial organization, Tussauds is at liberty to do whatever it likes with its planetarium, which sits uneasily alongside halls filled with waxwork models of pop stars, footballers and Saddam Hussein. But the company’s main reason for closing the planetarium – that it is increasingly focusing on entertainment not education – is disappointing.

Fortunately, London will not be without a planetarium for long. Next year, the Royal Greenwich Observatory, which is part of the National Maritime Museum, will open a 120-seat planetarium as part of a £15m redevelopment of the site. The investment at Greenwich – and at countless other planetariums around the world – proves that people are still fascinated by the night sky.