An IMAX projector weighs as much as a male hippopotamus — about 3,300 to 4,000 pounds (1,500 to 1,800 kilograms). It comes with a hefty price tag as well. Each IMAX unit costs $5 million US Dollars. The screen size has large as well — a typical screen can be six stories tall, and a dome to protect the projector can measure as much as 99 feet (30 meters) in diameter.
More IMAX Facts:
- The IMAX was invented by four young Canadians who managed to convinced Japanese investors to consider the IMAX potential. Surprised by the agreement, the boys had to invent the system capable of shooting on film 10 times the size of traditional 35 mm film; they pulled it off and threw together a swanky office in a hurry to impress the investors.
- The 15,000-watt bulb in an IMAX projector is so bright that it could be seen with the naked eye from the International Space Station if pointed upward.
- The film used in an IMAX projector is so big that a 40-minute film would be about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) long. It also is strong enough to pull a truck.
- The world's largest IMAX screen, located in Sydney, New South Wales, measures eight stories tall — 117.2 by 96.5 feet (35.73 by 29.42 meters), covering an area of 10,930 square feet (1,015 square meters).