Guest Nights at the Morehead Observatory at UNC Chapel Hill

On the fourth floor of the East side of the Morehead Planetarium complex, at 250 E Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is the Morehead Observatory. The Morehead Observatory is an astronomical observatory with a Perkin-Elmer telescope. Chapel Hill undergraduate and graduate students use it to obtain data for their research and to prepare themselves to use the telescopes at national observatories.

Members of the public are invited during Guest Nights to see the telescope in operation. You might be able to observe planets in our solar system. You might see how images of galaxies and star clusters are recorded, using a CCD camera. In additional, see how the robotic Skynet telescopes (at other locations) are remotely operated.

Please note that these events are not run by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

Although guest nights take place regularly during the academic year, space is very limited, and fills up quickly. Sign up on the registration page for the date you’d like to attend. If no slots are available, keep checking that page so that you’ll see when new sessions are announced.

Also, if you can’t secure a spot on Guest Night, check out the list of skywatching events in the Triangle. We are always updating the list.

If you do make a reservation for a Morehead Observatory Guest Night, please make sure to show up, or to let them know you can’t make it, as space is very limited.

 

Skywatching in the Triangle

Interested in getting started with skywatching? Check out our guide to skywatching in the Triangle, including where to go, what to look for, local resources and more. Or find a few upcoming events here: