The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is a research-based museum with Museum staff who conduct novel research and steward our collections. The museum’s Research Highlight Days feature these researchers and their fields of study.
On Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., NCNMS is hosting Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Day.
The event will takes place on the first and third floors of the Nature Research Center, 121 West Jones Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
This is a free event.
Presentations
11 AM Observing Massive Stars in the Galaxy
Dr. Rachel Smith, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Dr. Rachel Smith will present her current research on the formation of planetary systems in the Galaxy. Highlights will be recent observations of massive young stars, including a unique “runaway” star, obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii.
12 PM Making Sense of Spiral Galaxies: How Volunteers and AI Team Up to Identify Individual Spiral Arms
Dr. Patrick Treuthardt, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
The winding arms of spiral galaxies are one of their most obvious features. By measuring how tightly the arms are wrapped, we can reveal clues about other components that are much harder to observe, such as dark matter content and central black hole mass. By partnering volunteers with AI, we aim to identify individual spiral arms in tens of thousands of galaxies, measure how tightly each arm is wound, and use those measurements to estimate these elusive properties. Doing so will help us better understand how galaxies similar to our own Milky Way form and evolve.
Exhibits and Activities
Spiral Graph: Cluster Buster
Researchers will demonstrate and discuss Spiral Graph: Cluster Buster, the online citizen science project dedicated to identifying individual arms in spiral galaxies and measuring their winding. The degree of winding serves as a proxy for properties such as the mass of the dark matter halo and the mass of the black hole found in a galaxy’s nucleus. The goal is to find galaxies that will help us understand the co-formation and co-evolution of spiral galaxies and their central supermassive black holes.
Raleigh Astronomy Club
RAC will have a table with astronomy related handouts and will answer questions about astronomy and telescopes.
Discovering New Worlds: The Science of Exploring Space
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors
From distant exoplanets far beyond our solar system to galaxies at the edge of the observable universe, scientists are constantly uncovering new worlds and new mysteries. Meet a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador and learn how astronomers use observations, technology, and scientific research to explore our universe.
Astrophysics Research Highlights
This table will showcase new student research by undergraduates in Physics & Astronomy at Appalachian State University.
3rd Floor
Visitors from Space: Meteorites from Asteroids, the Moon, and Mars
Showcasing several meteorites from the Museum collection, including new samples from the asteroid belt, the Moon, and Mars.
3rd Floor
Nature Research Center (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), Raleigh
121 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC
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