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A Traveler’s Guide to the Moon
Xterra
A Traveler’s Guide to the Moon takes visitors on a guided journey to five extraordinary lunar destinations that define the Moon’s past, present, and future exploration. Featuring sculpted landscapes alongside maps and infographics, the exhibit makes lunar science approachable and engaging for explorers of all ages.
Ask a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors
Get answers to all your burning questions about space exploration, astronomy, and the wonders of our solar system! Whether you’re interested about distant planets, galaxies, or the latest missions, the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors are here to share their knowledge and spark your curiosity.
Astronomy Days T-Shirt Sales
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Purchase this year’s shirt with its awesome spacy design!
Astronomy With Binoculars
The Raleigh Astronomy Club
Experience amazing sights you can view with accessible equiment. Learn how you can take spectacular space photos through astrophotography without breaking the bank.
Civil Air Patrol
Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol
Help us build an awesome lunar base and learn about Moon geology.
Exoplanets
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Learn about the methods used for detecting Exoplanets and see some models of Exoplanets. We’ll use our 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. Watch the video illustrating the Fermi Paradox.
Fun Interactive Physics Demonstrations
NC State Physics
Join us for our large collection of fun interactive science demonstrations that can be enjoyed by all ages.
Museum Membership
Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Join or renew your membership at Astronomy Days and receive a FREE Astronomy Days T-shirt on the day of the event!
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Connect with local astronomers and discover the club’s vital role in the greater Raleigh area. Check out our calendar to join us for upcoming events.
Shimmering Constellation Paintings
Stacy Lewis Studio
Come and see a demonstration of mixed media techniques to create colorful, sparkling constellation paintings.
Telescopes on Display
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Take a look at the Moon and planets through local amateur astronomer telescopes and accept our ‘challenge at the eyepiece’ to locate specific lunar features! A variety of telescopes will be on display.
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Age, Weight and Jumping on Other Planets
The AstroNerd
Step into our interactive exhibit and discover how you’d measure up on other planets! Find out how old you’d be, how much you’d weigh, and how high you could jump if you lived on worlds like Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn.
Discovery Room
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Explore the natural world and the skies above in the Discovery Room! The Discovery Room is an ideal space for children and families. Hours: 10:30am-12:30pm and 1pm-3pm.
Face Painting
Paint Savvy
Fabulous space-themed face painting by professional artists.
Passport to the Moon
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
You’re invited to join us on a special adventure. Travel around during this event with your Passport to the Moon and gather stamps from participating stations. Along your journey to the Moon, you’ll learn about craters, the Artemis Missions, lunar landers and more. Once you’ve stamped all your passport pages, you’ll get a special prize!
Quiet Space
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
This space is sectioned off and available for visitors with anxiety, stress and sensory overstimulation. Visitors can take a break from the events and activities. Guests are also provided with sensory toys, coloring pages, books and noise-canceling headphones (upon request). People of all ages and abilities are welcome to take advantage of our quiet space.
Stargazing on Protected Lands
Triangle Land Conservancy
Visit our table to discover how land preservation benefits our health, ecosystems and stargazing! Learn about the astronomical opportunities the Triangle Land Conservancy and our partners offer to the community.
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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! 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.
Constellation Exploration
Scouting America
Aiming to teach kids about the outdoors, including the stars in our night sky! Learn about scouting and create your own constellations.
Explore Engineering with Stomp Rockets
The Engineering Place at NC State University
Are you interested in flying high? Join The Engineering Place for a hands-on engineering challenge where participants will be tasked with designing, creating, and launching a rocket that will soar through the air. Using the engineering design process, participants will ask questions about flight, imagine the possibilities for their rockets, plan and create their designs, and then test and improve upon their initial designs.
Meet CHAOS
Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society (CHAOS)
We are a Triangle-wide club and sponsor of the Staunton River Star Party. Stop by to learn about our upcoming events and how you can participate.
Monitoring Pollution From Space
NC State MEAS Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group
View visualizations of satellite observations of air pollutants, greenhouse gases and land types. See computer simulations of atmospheric composition and low-cost sensors to measure real-time pollution levels.
PlaySPACE
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Babies and toddlers will enjoy space themed toys and games in this designated “blast-off” area for our youngest visitors and their guardians.
Robotics
Valence Robotics
Join this robotics competition team to learn the values of STEM through interactive activities related to the engineering and ideation process of robot building.
Space Voyagers
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Celebrate Black History Month coming up in February by putting yourself in the shoes of some talented space experts. Fix the ISS like astronaut Victor Glover, calculate trajectories like Katherine Johnson and hear about the experiences of Black space voyagers from history to modern-day.
Straw Rockets with High-Powered Rocketry Club
NC State High-Powered Rocketry Club
Make and decorate paper straw rockets while learning about rocketry concepts from NC State’s High-Powered Rocketry Club.
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. Create galaxy pinwheels, seed planters and draw-your-favorite alien sheets.
UNC Chapel Hill Physics and Astronomy
UNC-CH Physics and Astronomy Department
Enjoy hands-on demos for young and old, assisted by graduate and undergraduate UNC-CH students. Learn cool facts from both physics and astronomy!
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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!
Lights Out Wake
Wake Audubon Society
Learn why turning off unnecessary outdoor lights assists miilions of birds to migrate safely during Spring and Fall.
Living Conservatory-Open for Astronomy Days
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
You’ve heard of rainforests, but have you heard of a tropical dry forest? Come see our recreation of this unique habitat and meet some of its most fascinating inhabitants. As tropical butterflies flutter overhead, get a glimpse of turtles, fish and even a two-toed sloth. These animals like it hot and humid, so you’ll feel like you’re taking a tropical vacation without ever leaving the city.
Statewide Star Party: Mission to the Moon
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Join Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the NC Science Festival to create a night-sky picture and design a space-themed souvenir. These two activities will be featured in the upcoming annual Statewide Star Party that includes dozens of free skywatching events across North Carolina on April 24 and 25.
Sun, Earth and Moon Craft
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Get ready for the 2026 Solar Eclipse by making a model of the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. Learn why the positions of these objects make the Earth so special and its residents able to see a spectacular show!
USS Kitty Hawk
STARFLEET International
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Astrophotography
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Come view excellent examples of astro photos and discuss the techniques and processes of astrophotography gear.
Blast Off Rocket Building
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Create a rocket masterpiece and prepare to launch it sky-high outside!
Houston, The FIRST Age Has Launched!
FIRST North Carolina
Check out the FIRST Rebuilt season with FIRST North Carolina!
How Craters are Formed
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn the ‘hole’ story! From the surface of Earth, to the Moon and other celestial bodies, discover the origin, speech and size of the meteors that caused these impressive pockmarks throughout the universe.
Lunar Lander and Mars Rover Maker Station
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Can you create an amazing robot or spaceship from found materials? Try your hand at creating your own special machine or recreate a model of the lunar lander or Mars rover!
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Bricks Among the Stars
Bricks & Minifigs Downtown Raleigh
Showcasing rare and unique space-themed LEGO® sets, including our famous LEGO® alien that have actually been to space! Stop by to explore, build, and enjoy some out-of-this-world LEGO® fun!
Constellation Exploration
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn about the history and uses of constellations. Use a flashlight to head out into “space” to track down some constellations right here in the Museum!
HAM the Astrochimp
North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program
View the highway historical marker for HAM the astrochimp and take pictures with the marker! See photos of HAM and learn more information about this amazing animal and highway markers in general.
If Every Star Were a Grain of Sand
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Do you know how many stars are in the observable universe? Stop by to find out the incredible answer and much more!
Meteorites and Meteor-wrongs: Learn How to Tell the Difference!
NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Naturalist Center
Visit the Naturalist Center to hold a real meteorite and learn about the animals that have inspired names in the night sky.
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All About Space
Investigate Lab, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Join us in learning about the Moon through hands-on activities in the Investigate Lab!
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 research from Museum astronomers, Dr. Rachel Smith and Dr. Patrick Treuthardt, as well as solar system and planetary fly-throughs using real mission data created using an open-source educational tool! Dr. Smith and Dr. Treuthardt, along with colleagues and students, will be circulating during the event and may be discussing their research and outreach with visitors as well!
Astronomy at App State University
Appalachian State University
Looking for future astronomy majors! Learn more on the awesome astronomy program at Appalachian State.
Hide and Seek Moon
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
An engaging way for early childhood learners to experiment with some of the tools scientists use to study objects that are very, very far away and to learn about how cultures around the world have viewed the Moon. Easy-to-use binoculars and a hidden object Moon poster let young participants discover how some tools can make distant objects appear closer and brighter. The Moon Rope storybook shares a story of one of the ways people have made meaning out of the shapes they see on the Moon.
Live in the VisLab: Apollo Engineer Ted Dunn
NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Visual World Investigate Lab
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.
Space in Your Hands
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
Touch and hold meteorites and see samples under a microscope. Feel tactile models of craters, volcanos and more from the Moon, Mars and beyond!
Spiral Graph: Cluster Buster
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Evaluate if tracings from the Cluster Buster citizen science project are clustered together correctly. Help us untangle the thousands of traced arms of spiral galaxies from each other.
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Drive a Rover on the Moon
Cardinal Gibbons High School
Become a lunar explorer! In this hands-on activity, you’ll take the controls of a real robot rover and navigate it across a giant map of the Moon’s surface. Test your driving skills as you steer around craters, search for landing sites and complete fun exploration challenges.
Solar Observing
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Observe the Sun safely through filtered telescopes provided by local amateur astronomers.
OUTSIDE
Blast Off Rocket Shooting
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
After making your own rocket, bring it outside to shoot it into the sky!
Loud Noise Warning: During the entirety of the event, on both Saturday and Sunday, Blast-Off Rockets will be fired off on the Bicentennial Plaza, near the Museum’s Nature Exploration Center (NEC) entrance. The rockets make a loud popping noise caused by the instant release of pressurized air. If you are sensitive to loud or unexpected noises, please consider entering the Museum through the Nature Research Center (NRC) at 121 W Jones St.