Astronomy Days with North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Jan 28-29

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Astronomy Days will take place January 28th and 29th, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The theme of Astronomy Days this years is Humans in Space: Past, Present, and Future!

The festival takes place at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, in both Nature Exploration Center (NEC) and Nature Research Center (NRC). Outdoor activities will be located on Bicentennial Plaza.

Admission is free for everyone.

Exhibits and Activities

You can find a list of all the exhibits and events, which will be frequently updated, here.

Age, Weight and Jumping on Other Planets
Raleigh Astronomy Club
How old are you in Martian years? How much would you weigh on Venus? How high could you jump if you were on Pluto? Find out the answers to these questions and many more at this exhibit.

Animal Navigation
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Animals use different ways to navigate the planet. Come learn about the ways animals find their way using the Sun, the Moon, the Earth’s magnetic field and more, and how scientists are still learning just how the animals do it!

Animals of the Constellations
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Have you ever wondered how the constellations got their names? There are 88 constellations in the sky and many of them are named after animals! Come meet some of these critters and learn about the mythology and natural history of the animals, as well as how constellations provide a map of the night sky.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Lab
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Welcome to the Museum’s Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Lab (times for lab openings will be posted during the event). The Lab showcases cutting-edge space visualization software called OpenSpace, a NASA-funded collaboration led by the American Museum of Natural History, in New York. Visitors will see the latest on their research, and solar system and planetary fly-throughs using real mission data to create an open-source educational tool! Museum astronomers, Dr. Rachel Smith and Dr. Patrick Treuthardt, as well as colleagues and students, will be circulating during the event and may be discussing their research and outreach with visitors as well!

Astronomy at Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University
Learn about the astronomy program and observatories at Appalachian State University.

Astronomy Days T-Shirt Sales
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Purchase this year’s shirt!

Astronomy with Binoculars
Raleigh Astronomy Club
View a display of low-cost astronomy equipment for Astrophotography.

Astrophotography
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Come view excellent examples of astronomy photos taken by members of the Raleigh Astronomy Club. Examples of astrophotography gear will be exhibited and members will be available to discuss techniques and processes.

Blast Off Rockets
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Create a rocket masterpiece and launch it sky-high!

Bring Back the Night Sky
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Light pollution affects all of us on the planet, from astronomers to sea turtles. Find out about this environmental issue and what you can do to help bring back the night sky!

CHAOS
Chapel Hill Astronomy and Observational Society
Club members range from precocious teenagers to UNC astronomy professors but most are just enthusiastic amateur astronomers. Stop by and meet them and see what they’re up to.

Constellation Exploration
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about the history and uses of constellations and then use a flashlight to head out into “space” to track down some constellations right here in the Museum!

Discovery Room
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Explore the natural world and the skies above in the Discovery Room! Create constellations, learn about eclipses, and more. The Discovery Room is an ideal space for intergenerational learning for children and families. Hours: 10:30am-12:30pm and 1pm-3pm.

Astronauts: The Next Generation – A Fun and Interactive Exploration
Over the Moon Playspace
Join us as we take a journey into the exciting world of space travel and discovery. Future astronauts will have the opportunity to have their picture taken in a realistic astronaut costume. They will also learn about exotic exoplanets, and use their creativity and imagination to design and decorate their own unique new world on a wooden disc that they will take home!

Exoplanets
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Learn about the methods used for detecting exoplanets and see some models of exoplanets. They’ll use their own version of the Kepler Space Telescope; a Lego orrery and artificial star to demonstrate the transit method of detecting Exoplanets. Visitors can also learn about the Drake Equation and input their own variables to see how many other communicating civilizations are in our galaxy. They’ll also have a video illustrating the Fermi Paradox.

Face Painting
Paint Savvy
Themed face painting with aliens, galaxies and other celestial-inspired designs. (Fee)

Festival of Stars
Capital Quilters Guild of Raleigh
Come by and talk to the quilters to see how the Festival of Stars, a beautiful quilt bursting with color, could be yours. With all ticket proceeds supporting Capital Quilters Guild of Raleigh Community outreach programs.

Exploring the Universe: Filtered Light
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
“Filtered Light” demonstrates how scientists can use telescopes and other tools to capture and filter different energies of light to study the Universe. Most objects in the Universe are so distant from us that we can only study them through light. Filters allow us to block some energy levels of light and isolate others; each energy of light can offer new information about the object of study. In “Filtered Light,” participants discover how colored filters can help reveal more about an image. They can also make and study colorful images of their own.

Finding the North Star and Others
Raleigh Astronomy Club
A very kid-friendly and beginner-friendly exhibit of how to find the North Star (Polaris) and others, and why the sky moves the way it does. Based on books by H.A. Rey, the author of the Curious George books.

Get Wild with TLC
Triangle Land Conservancy
What does land conservation have to do with star gazing? Visit this table during Astronomy Days to learn through fun activities about the benefits to our health, ecosystems, and yes, even star gazing, that the Triangle Land Conservancy provides for our communities.

Green Roof Solar Observing
NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Lab
See our star up close at Astronomy Days! Astronomers will set up solar telescopes on the 4th floor terrace of the Nature Research Center to safely view the Sun with special filters. You’ll see fascinating solar surface features and solar storm ejections, and possibly a few sun spots! Scientists and experienced volunteers will be on hand to explain and answer questions. 1:00pm–2:30pm, both days, weather permitting.

High Powered Rocketry Club at NC State University
High Powered Rocketry Club
Learn about the hobby of High Powered Rocketry and how we use real world rocket science. Also build your own straw rockets for launching.

If Earth Were the Size of the Daily Planet
Raleigh Astronomy Club
At 70 feet in diameter, the Daily Planet is the largest satellite-image globe in the world. It’s also a giant scale model, and this exhibit shows how it can be used to visualize the depths of the ocean, the heights of mountains and the atmosphere, and even the relative biomass of different life forms on Earth.

Imagining Life
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
“Exploring the Universe: Imagining Life” is a hands-on activity in which guests imagine and draw an extreme environment beyond Earth, then invent a living thing that could thrive in it. They learn that NASA scientists study extremophiles on Earth to imagine the variety of life that might exist elsewhere, and make predictions about where to look for it.

Interesting Physics Demonstrations
NC State University Physics Department
Space is all about physics. Come see interesting and interactive physics demonstrations!

Live in the Vis Lab: Apollo Engineer Ted Dunn
Visual World Investigate Lab, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Meet one of the engineers that worked directly on the spacecraft that took astronauts to the moon! Hours: 10:30am-12:30pm and 1pm-3pm.

Living Conservatory
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Open for Astronomy Days!

Meet the Raleigh Astronomy Club & Ask the Astronomer
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Meet Raleigh Astronomy Club members, learn about how the club supports astronomy in the greater Raleigh area, check out upcoming events and the Ask an Astronomy booth. An interactive speed of light exhibit will also be on display.

Men on the Moon
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Twelve men have walked on the Moon. Learn about their adventures and the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972; the last manned space flights beyond low-earth orbit.

Moon Phases
Micro World Investigate Lab, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Want to know how to make a Moon calendar and how to use it? Check out our lab and learn about different Moon phases and fun Moon facts.

Planet Hunters and Investigators
UNC Physics and Astronomy
Explore how astronomers detect and characterize planets far away in solar systems of their own!

Preserve Our Pale Blue Dot
Climate Action NC
What can astronomy teach us about our home planet? Come learn what’s so special about Planet Earth and how to protect its unique environment with Climate Action NC! Answer a trivia question correctly for a prize!

The Quest for Extraterrestrial Life
North Carolina Academy of Science
From living water bears and vinegar eels to plants small enough to fasten onto necklaces, join the Academy in the spacious Curiosity Classroom for a fun look at life of extreme environments, activities featuring Mars and Earth’s extreme environments, and colorful crafts — Pinwheel Galaxy pinwheels, seed planters, and draw-your-favorite alien sheets.

Scale of the Universe
Raleigh Astronomy Club
This interactive exhibit created by two high-school-aged brothers will allow you explore the scale of our Universe from the smallest theoretical scales (the Planck length at 10 to the negative 33rd meters) to the largest distances of the observable universe (10 the 28th meters) and everything in between.

Solar Observing
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Safely look at the Sun through telescopes from Raleigh Astronomy Club members (weather permitting).

Statewide Star Party: Celebrating the Night Sky
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Get a sneak preview of some of the activities available at the annual Statewide Star Party — 35 free sky-watching events in April at locations from the mountains to the coast. Create your own constellation, make a star wheel, and learn how you can celebrate the night sky.

Telescopes on Display
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Come look at photographic views of the Moon and planets through member-owned telescopes. Accept the “challenge at the eyepiece” to locate specific features on the Moon. See different types of telescopes at work.

UNC Physics and Astronomy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This exhibit offers fun and simple physics demonstrations for visitors and allows UNC physics undergraduates to talk about our available B.S and B.A programs.

Women and Astronomy
Girl Scouts: North Carolina Coastal Pines
The Girl Scouts will be showing pictures and providing information about famous astronauts who were Girl Scouts. They will also be providing a “phases of the Moon” activity!

Presentations

Find information on presentations here.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28

NRC 4th FLOOR
Saturn Room
11am — Building the James Webb Space Telescope
Adam Hauser, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Ever wonder what went into designing and building humanity’s largest space telescope? In this talk we will look back at how the James Webb Space Telescope was designed, engineered and built to show us farther into space than ever before!

Noon — 2023/24 Solar Eclipses
Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A total solar eclipse will pass through the eastern US in 2024 and an annular eclipse will pass through the southwestern US in 2023. Learn how and where to best experience them as well as look at the other eclipses passing through central North Carolina in across the decades.

1pm — SpaceX and Commercial Space Report 2022
Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A review of the exciting things going on in the world of commercial space in 2022. We’ll look at SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing and the rest, determine whether they had good or bad years, and see how things in commercial space are blowing up (in a good way).

2pm — The Moon: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Doug Lively, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
After 50+ years, we’re going back to the Moon! We’ll take time to reflect back on what we knew about the Moon in 1969, evaluate how our knowledge of the Moon has changed and review our near-term goals for future Lunar exploration. This presentation includes a discussion on Artemis, the Space Launch System, and NASA’s private partners, such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and others.

3pm — InSight on Mars
Adam Hauser, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
The Mars InSight Lander was able to provide years of scientific discovery on Mars! In this last mission update, we will look back at everything InSight taught us, and look to where we go next!

4pm — Curiosity Rumbles On: Ten Years exploring Mars
Ken Brandt Director, Robeson Planetarium/NCSEA Ambassador
Curiosity’s been on the surface of Mars for over 10 years and is still learning more about the Martian environment. Come hear about the latest science results.

Uranus Room

10:30am — Looking Deep Into The Universe with the James Webb Telescope
Ian Hewitt, Research Adjunct, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
One of the Webb telescope’s first images was a deep field image looking far away and back in time to the early Universe. Learn about how these types of images can help us learn a lot about the early galaxies and other mysteries of the Universe.

11:30am — How to See the Apollo Astronaut’s Footprints on the Moon
Dr. Dan Caton, App State Dark Sky Observatory
Can you see the footprints from the Earth? It turns out you can actually detect light from them — we will see how that works!

12:30pm — Asteroid Forensics: Unraveling the Origins of our Solar System
Dr. Pierre Haenecour, The University of Arizona
As remnants left over from the early Solar System, laboratory analysis of samples from asteroids allows us to investigate the origin and evolution of our Solar System. Dr. Haenecour will discuss how the analysis of samples from asteroid Bennu collected by the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission will help us unravel the origin of life.
This presentation is sponsored by NC Space Grant.

1:30pm Where the Milky Way Gets Its Dinner
Dr. Fabian Heitsch, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Galaxies like the Milky Way keep forming stars. Where does the gas for all the new stars come from? The presentation explores how astronomers have discovered the “dinner options” for the Milky Way, i.e. the gas reservoirs feeding the Milky Way’s star formation.

2:30pm — Setting Sail on the Cosmic Ocean: A Photo Journey With the James Webb Space Telescope
Dr. Klaus Pontoppidan, Space Telescope Science Institute
Join us for a photographic journey through the science of the new James Webb Space Telescope, and a view behind the scenes of the creation of the famous first images.
This presentation is sponsored by NC Space Grant.

3:30pm From Apollo to Artemis
Dr. Carter Emmart, American Museum of Natural History
The 50th anniversary of the conclusion of NASA’s Apollo Program overlapped its new Artemis-1 flight preparing for the return of astronauts to the Moon. Let’s look closely at the Apollo sites thanks to high resolution imaging by recent missions and preview where Artemis is going and why.

Neptune Room

11am — Radio Astronomy: From the Backyard to Black Holes
Dr. Don Ellison, Department of Physics, NCSU
In their brief 100-year history, radio telescopes have revealed some of the most spectacular objects in the Universe. Dr. Ellison will show images and explain, in general non-mathematical terms, some of these exotic objects, including active galaxies and black holes.

Noon — The Giant Planet on Jones Street
Ron Monti, Raleigh Astronomy Club
The Daily Planet is the largest satellite image globe in the world — how was it made and who made it? In this talk, you’ll hear the fascinating story behind Raleigh’s iconic landmark on Jones Street and you’ll also learn how the Daily Planet can be used as a giant scale model for exploring the four “spheres” of Earth (the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere).

1pm — Lucy in the Sky with Trojans
Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
The Lucy spacecraft is headed to Jupiter’s orbit. Its mission: to visit more asteroids than any other spacecraft in history. Come see where it’s going, how it’s getting there, and what this mission means to our understanding of these unusual Solar System objects.

2pm — 2022 in Space and a Look to 2023
Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A round-up of the events in astronomy and space exploration during 2022 including the James Webb Space Telescope and Daniel Inouye Solar Telescope, Artemis, space tourism, space debris and more, and what to look out for in 2023.

3pm — Human Spaceflight Report 2022
Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Marc Fusco will present a review of 2022, another banner year in human spaceflight (HSF), and how it is shaping up for the coming decade. SpaceX is leading the way to a new golden era of human spaceflight and is poised to change the dynamics of HSF with their new Starship, and NASA is back to the moon with the Artemis program.

4pm Saturn V: The Rocket That Took Us to the Moon
Michael P. Keefe, Raleigh Astronomy Club & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A nostalgic review of the Saturn V, it’s major components, when each component was used during the mission and the engineering breakthroughs achieved.

NEC 3rd FLOOR — WINDOWS ON THE WORLD

11am — Avoiding Asteroid Armageddon
Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Recent findings have changed our ideas about diverting potential impactors that might threaten our planet. Come learn about some of the strategies we might use to keep Earth safe.

Noon — Glacier National Park: The Journey to Big Sky Country.
Doug Lively, Raleigh Astronomy Club & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Silhouetted against the majestic Milky Way, stately mountains peer down across pristine lakes, icy glaciers and lush valleys of green to provide a panorama of unparalleled beauty and grandeur that must be experienced rather than seen. Follow us along mountain trails that lead into the night sky. Learn native tales of courage and survival and explore deep sky wonders as Raleigh Astronomy Club member and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Doug Lively takes us on a journey to the Big Sky Country at Glacier National Park.

1pm — Where Are the Aliens?
Michael P. Keefe, Raleigh Astronomy Club & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
In this presentation we will cover some of humanity’s attempts to search for life outside of our planet. What have we discovered, what are the odds of discovering extra-terrestrial life and why don’t we see evidence of extra-terrestrial life when we look into the cosmos.

2pm — NASA’s MONSTER ROCKETS! Comparing the Saturn V, Space Shuttle, and our new SLS
Alan Rich, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
NASA’s new monster rocket Space Launch System can take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. Let’s see how it compares with the Space Shuttle and the Saturn V that launched the Apollo Moon missions.

3pm — A Demonstration of Observing Remotely Using App State’s Dark Sky Observatory
Dr. Dan Caton, App State Dark Sky Observatory
In this program, we will connect to the Dark Sky Observatory and image bright planets visible during the daytime.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

NRC 4th FLOOR
Saturn Room

11am — Lucy in the Sky with Trojans
Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
The Lucy spacecraft is headed to Jupiter’s orbit. Its mission: to visit more asteroids than any other spacecraft in history. Come see where it’s going, how it’s getting there, and what this mission means to our understanding of these unusual Solar System objects.

Noon — NASA’s MONSTER ROCKETS! Comparing the Saturn V, Space Shuttle, and our new SLS
Alan Rich, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
NASA’s new monster rocket SLS can take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. Let’s see how it compares with the Space Shuttle and the Saturn V that launched the Apollo Moon missions.

1pm — Curiosity Rumbles On: Ten Years exploring Mars
Ken Brandt Director, Robeson Planetarium/NCSEA Ambassador
Curiosity’s been on the surface of Mars for over 10 years and is still learning more about the Martian environment. Come hear about the latest science results.

2pm — Radio Astronomy: From the Backyard to Black Holes
Dr. Don Ellison, Department of Physics, NCSU
In their brief 100-year history, radio telescopes have revealed some of the most spectacular objects in the Universe. I will show images and explain, in general non-mathematical terms, some of these exotic objects including active galaxies and black holes.

3pm — 2023/24 Solar Eclipses
Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A total solar eclipse will pass through the eastern U.S. in 2024 and an annular eclipse will pass through the southwestern US in 2023. Learn how and where to best experience them as well as look at the other eclipses passing through central North Carolina in across the decades.

4pm — Human Spaceflight Report 2022
Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors
A review of 2022, another banner year in human spaceflight, and how it is shaping up for the coming decade. SpaceX is leading the way to a new golden era of human spaceflight and is poised to change the dynamics of HSF with their new Starship, and NASA is back to the moon with the Artemis program.

Uranus Room

10:30am Saturn V: The Rocket That Took Us to the Moon
Michael P. Keefe, Raleigh Astronomy Club & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A nostalgic review of the Saturn V, it’s major components, when each component was used during the mission and the engineering breakthroughs achieved.

11:30am — Taking Off to The Stratosphere: My Experience In The World’s Largest Flying Observatory- NASA’s SOFIA
Diane Ripollone, Cardinal Gibbons High School
As one of 24 teachers in the nation selected by the SETI Institute to be a 2022 NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador, I worked with the scientists on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Boeing 747SP aircraft carrying a 2.7-meter telescope. I will share resources from this STEM immersion experience to help convey real-world content to students that illuminate the value of scientific research and the wide variety of STEM career paths available to them.

12:30pm How to See the Apollo Astronaut’s Footprints on the Moon
Dr. Dan Caton, App State Dark Sky Observatory
Can you see the footprints from the Earth? It turns out you can actually detect light from them–we will see how that works!

1:30pm — Avoiding Asteroid Armageddon
Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Recent findings have changed our ideas about diverting potential impactors that might threaten our planet. Come learn about some of the strategies we might use to keep Earth safe.

2:30pm — Setting Sail on the Cosmic Ocean: A photo journey with the James Webb Space Telescope
Dr. Klaus Pontoppidan, Space Telescope Science Institute
Join for a photographic journey through the science of the new James Webb Space Telescope, and a view behind the scenes of the creation of the famous first images.
This presentation is sponsored by NC Space Grant.

3:30pm From Apollo to Artemis
Dr. Carter Emmart, American Museum of Natural History
The 50th anniversary of the conclusion of NASA’s Apollo Program overlapped its new Artemis-1 flight preparing for the return of astronauts to the Moon. Let’s look closely at the Apollo sites thanks to high resolution imaging by recent missions and preview where Artemis is going and why.

Neptune Room

11am — Coding for Astronomy
Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
We’ll come up with an astronomy question and answer it live using the Python coding language using the same NASA data used to plan missions.

noon — SpaceX and Commercial Space Report 2022
Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
A review of the exciting things going on in the world of commercial space in 2022. We’ll look at SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing and the rest, determine whether they had good or bad years, and see how things in commercial space are blowing up (in a good way).

1pm Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) – A JAXA Mission to Phobos and Deimos
Jeff Qualls, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
This presentation will provide an overview of the JAXA MMX mission to survey the two moons of Mars, to land a rover on Phobos, and to bring samples from the surface of Phobos back to Earth.

2pm — Looking Deep Into The Universe with the James Webb Telescope
Ian Hewitt, Research Adjunct, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
One of the Webb telescope’s first images was a deep field image looking far away and back in time to the early Universe. Learn about how these types of images can help us learn a lot about the early galaxies and other mysteries of the Universe.

3pm — Exoplanets and Planetary Defense: Citizen Science Astronomy using Small Telescopes
Stefan Will, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Learn about the exciting possibilities for contributing to real science from your backyard, including exoplanet research, planetary defense and asteroid occultations. In this presentation, Stefan Will shows actual science results and highlights opportunities for collaboration with NASA and SETI scientists.

4pm — The Giant Planet on Jones Street
Ron Monti, Raleigh Astronomy Club
The Daily Planet is the largest satellite image globe in the world — how was it made and who made it? In this talk, you’ll hear the fascinating story behind Raleigh’s iconic landmark on Jones Street and you’ll also learn how the Daily Planet can be used as a giant scale model for exploring the four “spheres” of Earth (the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere).

NEC 3rd FLOOR- WINDOWS ON THE WORLD

11am — Glacier National Park: The Journey to Big Sky Country.
Doug Lively, Raleigh Astronomy Club & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Silhouetted against the majestic Milky Way, stately mountains peer down across pristine lakes, icy glaciers and lush valleys of green to provide a panorama of unparalleled beauty and grandeur that must be experienced rather than seen. Follow us along mountain trails that lead into the night sky. Learn native tales of courage and survival and explore deep sky wonders as Raleigh Astronomy Club member and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Doug Lively takes us on a journey to the Big Sky Country at Glacier National Park.

Noon — Astrophotography Without a Telescope or Star Tracker
Naveen Malik, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Introduction to astrophotography with a static camera and lens. Malik will show what can be done with just a tripod or a homemade barn door tracker.

1pm — The Moon: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Doug Lively, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
After 50+ years, we’re going back to the Moon! We’ll take time to reflect back on what we knew about the Moon in 1969, evaluate how our knowledge of the Moon has changed, and review our near-term goals for future Lunar exploration. This presentation includes a discussion on Artemis, the Space Launch System, and NASA’s private partners, such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and others.

2pm — Where Are the Aliens?
Michael P. Keefe, Raleigh Astronomy Club & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
In this presentation we will cover some of humanity’s attempts to search for life outside of our planet. What have we discovered, what are the odds of discovering extra-terrestrial life and why don’t we see evidence of extra-terrestrial life when we look into the cosmos.

3pm — A Demonstration of Observing Remotely Using App State’s Dark Sky Observatory
Dr. Dan Caton, App State Dark Sky Observatory
In this program we will connect to the Dark Sky Observatory and image bright planets visible during the daytime.

Accessibility for Astronomy Days

The festival will include both indoor and outdoor activities. Indoor activities will be located in the Nature Exploration Center (NEC) and Nature Research Center (NRC). Outdoor activities are limited and will be located on Bicentennial Plaza.

We will have trained volunteers to assist visitors (2 hours maximum). Visitors will need to preregister for sighted guides by Friday, January 27.
Please register for a sighted guide by calling Kari Wouk at 919.707.9879 or emailing her at kari.wouk@naturalsciences.org. Please provide your first and last name and the time period for which you will need a sighted guide.

You may request an ASL interpreter for certain exhibits and presentations by calling Kari Wouk at 919.707.9879 or emailing her at kari.wouk@naturalsciences.org no later than Friday, January 20.

More information on accessibility.

 

Upcoming Events in the Triangle

Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here:

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Monday, February 6, 2023

Tuesday, February 7, 2023