History:-  The blast-off of the first artificial satellite from the Earth, provoked a huge interest in space travel in Bulgaria and this is the main reason for the formation of so many clubs, devoted to this topic. There is a memorial plaque to Yuri Gagarin in the Park to commemorate the first manned flight of Vostock 1. This enthusiasm was also the reason for establishing, in the town of Varna in 1960, the first astronaut and astronomic club.

     Only a year later the old Summer Theatre in the central part of the sea garden in Varna was given to the club. On 22nd of May 1968 the first astronomical complex in Bulgaria was opened, named after Nikolai Kopernik (Nicolas Copernicus). The complex consists of an astronomical observatory, a  planetarium and a tower with a Phuko’s pendulum.  This is unique in the Balkan Peninsula and is the only way to prove that the Earth turns on its axis. There is a small room underneath where the visitors can observe the pendulum swing.

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High School students from Varna work on the project of cosmic colony "Tangra" for NASA.

The main scientific reason for the observatory is the observing and the photographing of artificial satellites from Earth, and another reason is the education in this discipline. There is a monument of Nikolai Kopernik in front of the planetarium’s entrance.  There are two spinning coupons on the third floor of the observatory, which is equipped with a 80/1200mm refractor and a bigger Kasegren 150/2250mm telescope .  
The observatory is the first of this type in Bulgaria. The diameter of the coupon is 10.5m. It is managed from the Lector’s deck and can project 5500 stars over the coupon.  In addition there are searchlights used for demonstrating the moving planets through the stars. There is also a special device which shows the solar system from 5 billion kilometres.  From its opening until 1998, the planetarium has been visited by over 800 000 people.
  In 1998 the Varna municipality took а decision to reconstruct the planetarium building. The renewed building was opened on 15th August 2002. The origin architecture was preserved, but now it is more modern, thanks to the architecture of G. Savakov. For better vision adaptation before entering into the hall there is a figural wall and the foyer is dimly lit. There is a computer hall, a library and lecture halls in the premises under the coupon. The decorative lights at night convert the observatory into one of the prominent features of the sea garden.