PRESENTATIONS

Featured Presentations

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Saturday, February 3

NEC 1st Floor: WRAL 3D Theater

11am — Special presentation by NASA Astronaut Dr. Kjell N. Lindgren

1pm — Special presentation by NASA Astronaut Dr. Kjell N. Lindgren

NRC Floors 1–3: SECU Daily Planet Theater

11am — Dangerous Asteroids: How NASA is Dealing With Them

Alan Rich, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
What are dangerous asteroids?  Learn how NASA is finding and tracking them and what NASA can do about them.
All ages

noon — Rocky Worlds: Impacts and Origins

Dr. Rachel Smith, NC Museum of Natural Sciences and Appalachian State University
Join Dr. Smith on a journey through the solar system as we explore the terrestrial planets and our many smaller neighbors, the asteroids and comets. She will use interactive, open-source software called OpenSpace to take us beyond Earth, and will discuss how asteroid and comet impacts have helped shape planets and life for billions of years. Dr. Smith will also showcase some new and exciting additions to our permanent meteorite collection!
All ages

1pm — A Demonstration of Observing Remotely Using App State’s Dark Sky Observatory

Dr. Dan Caton, Dark Sky Observatory, Appalachian State University
We will connect to the Dark Sky Observatory and image bright planets visible during the daytime.
All ages

2pm — Mysteries of Small Frozen Worlds in Our Solar System

Dr. Maitrayee Bose, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
We will explore the current location and landscapes of rocky and icy asteroids like Itokawa and Ryugu as well as Dwarf Planet Ceres.
All ages
This presentation is sponsored by NC Space Grant.

3pm — Spectacular Sites We Drove to on the Moon

Dr. Carter Emmart, American Museum of Natural History
Not only did America send twelve men to the Moon and return them safely to the Earth, but the last three missions brought cars!  Ever wonder where they drove to and what they saw?  Grainy TV and still photographs can now be combined with high resolution mapping from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to show us as never before where we explored and why, and how truly spectacular these sites were to behold.  See how far the Apollo astronauts drove from their tiny home, the Lunar Module to do science half a century ago and challenge our imagination for the journeys still ahead.
All ages

4pm —First Look at Bennu Samples Returned by the OSIRIS-REx Mission

Dr. Pierre Haenecour, The University of Arizona
The NASA OSIRIS-REx mission returned samples from asteroid 101955 Bennu on September 24, 2023. So far, 70.3 grams (about 2.5 ounces) of samples (including rocks and dust) that were found outside the sampler head have already been secured. Samples have already been allocated and are actively being studied by NASA. Dr. Haenecour will provide a first look at the samples and results of the first analyses.
All ages
This presentation is sponsored by NC Space Grant.

NRC 4^th Floor: Saturn Room

11am — Human Spaceflight Report 2023

Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Marc will present a review of 2023, 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.
Ages 8 and older

noon — Perseverance and Ingenuity: The Saga Continues

Ken Brandt, Director, Robeson Planetarium/NCSEA Ambassador
Percy and Ingy continue to explore Mars, and this presentation will bring you up to date on these missions, and what might happen in the future.
All ages

1pm — Pieces of the Rock: OSIRIS-REx Successfully Returns Samples From Asteroid Bennu

Jeff Qualls, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Jeff will discuss preliminary findings from analysis of the samples returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission from Asteroid Bennu in September. We will also discuss the mission profile and the ongoing mission of OSIRIS-REx.
Ages 8 and older

2pm — Astronomy at Glacier National Park

Doug Lively, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
As night falls, silent sentinels march across the sky in an endless dance marking the gradual shift of seasons. Join us for an exploration of the night sky and follow us up onto the “Wolf’s Tail” to discover astronomy at Glacier National Park.
All ages

3pm — Citizen Science: Asteroids

Ann Murphy, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Come find out how kids and adults are helping science shape the future.  Learn more about asteroids and how to contribute to real science by participating in exciting citizen science projects from NASA, Zooniverse and others.
All ages

4pm — How to Catch a Gravitational Wave

Ron Monti, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Gravitational waves are caused by the collision of two black holes or other cataclysmic astronomical events. In this presentation, you’ll discover how the amazing LIGO observatory can detect these waves, which are incredibly small — only one thousandth of the width of a proton!
Ages 12 and older

NRC 4^th Floor: Uranus Room

11:30am — Solar System Smack Down: Mars vs. Venus

Doug Lively and Michael Keefe, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors
The Earth, 3rd rock from the Sun, orbits between other rocky planets — Mars and Venus.  In this presentation, our speakers will compare and contrast various parameters of both Mars and Venus in a bid to determine which planet is the best option for eventual colonization.
Ages 8 and older

12:30pm — A Scientist Goes to the Movies

Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Join us as we take a humorous look at the good and bad science in recent space-themed movies.  Together we’ll try to make sense of the physics-defying science Hollywood has woven into the space films that we all love and in turn celebrate the films that get it right.  You’ll never look at space movies the same way again.
All ages

1:30pm — AI in Astronomy

Ian Hewitt, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn, work, and get information. With the explosion of data in astronomy, AI techniques are critical to analyzing data and making new discoveries. Come learn how AI is being used in cutting-edge research.
Ages 8 and older

2:30pm — Searching for Life in a Worldwide Frozen Sea

Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Next October, NASA plans to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft, whose mission is to probe Europa, icy moon of Jupiter, dozens of times to determine if its chemistry and environment are right for supporting life.  Learn about this mission to try to find what’s going on under miles of ice on a distant world.
All ages

3:30pm — Five Millennia of Solar Eclipses Across the Carolinas

Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
We’ll examine the history of solar eclipses passing through the Carolinas via never-before-seen maps of total, annular and rare hybrid eclipses. If you can’t make it into the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 eclipse, learn about the next total solar eclipse with a path stretching from Charlotte to the Outer Banks.
All ages

NRC 4^th Floor: Neptune Room

11am — NASA’s Deep Space Network

Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Learn how NASA communicates with spacecraft in orbit around the Earth and the Moon, as well as other planets in our Solar System and beyond.  You’ll see behind-the-scenes photos and stories from NASA’s Deep Space Network Facility in the California desert as well as a live view of spacecraft communications from JPL in Pasadena.
All ages

noon — Searching Islands in the Sky

Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
We’re in the process of getting to know the small, easy-to-ignore solar system bodies — like asteroids and comets — up close.  What are we sending out there, and what do we hope to find?
All ages

1pm — Psyche: Exploring the Origins of Our Solar System

Stefan Will, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Psyche is a NASA spacecraft that is on its way to study a unique, metal-rich asteroid, also named Psyche. This asteroid is thought to be an exposed iron core of a protoplanet, one of the building blocks of our solar system. Come learn about this mission and the science and technology behind it.
Ages 8 and older

2pm — Curiosity Rumbles On: Eleven Years Exploring Mars

Ken Brandt, Director, Robeson Planetarium/NCSEA Ambassador,
Curiosity continues to interrogate Mars, and this presentation will bring you up to speed.
All ages

3pm — SpaceX and Commercial Space Report 2023

Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
We’ll review the exciting things that went on in the world of commercial space in 2023. 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).
Ages 8 and older

4pm — Solar System & Deep Sky Objects

Naveen Malik, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Join us as we delve into the captivating world of celestial wonders, exploring some of the objects that adorn our night sky. From planets and moons within our solar system to the enigmatic beauty of deep sky objects, this presentation offers a fascinating insight into the realm beyond Earth.
All ages

NEC 3rd Floor: Windows on the World

11:30am, 1:30pm, 3pm— Out of this World Science!

Join us for an entertaining half hour of science experiments and demonstrations.
Topics may vary throughout the day but will include physics and chemistry, natural science, demonstrations on inertia, buoyancy and electromagnetism.
All ages

4pm — Hollywood Science vs. Real Science:  Asteroid Disaster Movies

Alan Rich, Michael Keefe, Doug Lively, Adam Hauser, Ken Brandt
Comparing the “Hollywood science” of asteroid disaster movies Armageddon and Deep Impact to reality.
All ages

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Sunday, February 4

NEC 1st Floor: WRAL 3D Theater

11am — Special presentation by NASA Astronaut Dr. Kjell N. Lindgren

NRC Floors 1-3: SECU Daily Planet Theater

11am — The Search for Life in the Ocean Worlds of our Solar System

Dr. Michael J. Malaska, JPL/Caltech
Enceladus, Europa, Titan, and other icy worlds have vast liquid water oceans deep below the ice shell. These could be some of the best places in our Solar System to look for life beyond Earth.
All ages

noon — The Loss of the Night Sky: Threats From LEDs and Satellite Constellations

Dr. Dan Caton, Dark Sky Observatory, Appalachian State University
New technology for lighting the outdoors and for connecting to the internet from satellites is threatening our dark skies.
All ages

1pm — Hollywood Science vs. Real Science:  Asteroid Disaster Movies

Alan Rich, Michael Keefe, Doug Lively, Adam Hauser, Ken Brandt
Comparing the “Hollywood science” of asteroid disaster movies Armageddon and Deep Impact to reality.
All ages

2pm — First Look at Bennu Samples Returned by the OSIRIS-REx Mission

Dr. Pierre Haenecour, The University of Arizona
The NASA OSIRIS-REx mission returned samples from asteroid 101955 Bennu on September 24, 2023. So far, 70.3 grams (about 2.5 ounces) of samples (including rocks and dust) that were found outside the sampler head have already been secured. Samples have already been allocated and are actively being studied by NASA. Dr. Haenecour will provide a first look at the samples and results of the first analyses.
All ages
This presentation is sponsored by NC Space Grant.

3pm — Spectacular Sites We Drove to on the Moon

Dr. Carter Emmart, American Museum of Natural History
Not only did America send twelve men to the Moon and return them safely to the Earth, but the last three missions brought cars!  Ever wonder where they drove to and what they saw?  Grainy TV and still photographs can now be combined with high resolution mapping from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to show us as never before where we explored and why, and how truly spectacular these sites were to behold.  See how far the Apollo astronauts drove from their tiny home, the Lunar Module to do science half a century ago and challenge our imagination for the journeys still ahead.
All ages

4pm — Searching for Life in a Worldwide Frozen Sea

Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Next October, NASA plans to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft, whose mission is to probe Europa, icy moon of Jupiter, dozens of times to determine if its chemistry and environment are right for supporting life.  Learn about this mission to try to find what’s going on under miles of ice on a distant world.
All ages

NRC 4^th Floor: Saturn Room

11am —Perseverance and Ingenuity: The Saga Continues

Ken Brandt, Director, Robeson Planetarium/NCSEA Ambassador
Percy and Ingy continue to explore Mars, and this presentation will bring you up to date on these missions, and what might happen in the future.
All ages

noon — Searching Islands in the Sky

Matthew Funke, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
We’re in the process of getting to know the small, easy-to-ignore solar system bodies — like asteroids and comets — up close.  What are we sending out there, and what do we hope to find?
All ages

1pm — Pieces of the Rock: OSIRIS-REx Successfully Returns Samples From Asteroid Bennu

Jeff Qualls, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Jeff will discuss preliminary findings from analysis of the samples returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission from Asteroid Bennu in September. We will also discuss the mission profile and the ongoing mission of OSIRIS-REx.
Ages 8 and older

2pm —Betelgeuse: Will It Supernova Soon?

Stefan Will, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Betelgeuse, the bright red supergiant star in the constellation Orion, is nearing the final phases of its life cycle. Astronomers predict it to explode in a brilliant supernova within the next 100,000 years, and recent erratic brightness changes have sparked speculation that this spectacular show might even happen much earlier than that. Join Stefan as he delves into the past, present and ultimate end of this fascinating star.
12 and older

3pm — Venus: Earth’s Mysterious Sibling

Doug Lively, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Earth’s closest planet is a mystery shrouded in a dense cloud layer encompassing the planet, making it impossible to explore from Earth’s vantage point.  However, new initiatives at NASA are attempting to peel back those mysterious layers to reveal the planet within.  This presentation will introduce the planet Venus and discuss exciting missions that NASA has planned for the near future.

4pm — SpaceX and Commercial Space Report 2023

Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Join us for a review of the exciting things that went on in the world of commercial space in 2023. 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).
8 and older

NRC 4^th Floor: Uranus Room

11:30am — A Scientist Goes to the Movies

Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Join us as we take a humorous look at the good and bad science in recent space-themed movies.  Together we’ll try to make sense of the physics-defying science Hollywood has woven into the space films that we all love and in turn celebrate the films that get it right.  You’ll never look at space movies the same way again.
All ages

12:30pm — AI in Astronomy

Ian Hewitt, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn, work, and get information. With the explosion of data in astronomy, AI techniques are critical to analyzing data and making new discoveries. Come learn how AI is being used in cutting-edge research.
Ages 8 and older

1:30pm — Five Millennia of Solar Eclipses Across the Carolinas

Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
We’ll examine the history of solar eclipses passing through the Carolinas via never-before-seen maps of total, annular and rare hybrid eclipses. If you can’t make it into the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 eclipse, learn about the next total solar eclipse with a path stretching from Charlotte to the Outer Banks.
All ages

2:30pm — Dangerous Asteroids: How NASA is Dealing With Them

Alan Rich, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
What are dangerous asteroids?  Learn how NASA is finding and tracking them and what NASA can do about them.
All ages

3:30pm — Astrophotography Without a Telescope or Star Tracker

Naveen Malik, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Introduction to astrophotography with a static camera and lens. Naveen will show what can be done with just a tripod or a homemade barn door tracker.
All ages

NRC 4^th Floor: Neptune Room

11am — NASA’s Deep Space Network

Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Learn how NASA communicates with spacecraft in orbit around the Earth and the Moon, as well as other planets in our Solar System and beyond.  You’ll see behind-the-scenes photos and stories from NASA’s Deep Space Network Facility in the California desert as well as a live view of spacecraft communications from JPL in Pasadena.
All ages

noon — Coding for Astronomy

Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Learn how astronomers use languages like Python to help answer astronomy questions.  We’ll build a script live to download data from NASA and build a map showing the best places to see the next total solar eclipse.
All ages

1pm — Human Spaceflight Report 2023

Marc Fusco, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Marc will present a review of 2023, 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.
Ages 8 and older

2pm — How to Catch a Gravitational Wave

Ron Monti, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Gravitational waves are caused by the collision of two black holes or other cataclysmic astronomical events. In this presentation, you’ll discover how the amazing LIGO observatory can detect these waves, which are incredibly small — only one thousandth of the width of a proton!
Ages 12 and older

3pm — Curiosity Rumbles On: Eleven Years Exploring Mars

Ken Brandt, Director, Robeson Planetarium/NCSEA Ambassador,
Curiosity continues to interrogate Mars, and this presentation will bring you up to speed.
All ages

4pm — Meteor Showers

Tony Rice, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Meteor showers are one of the most exciting events in the night sky, and they don’t require a telescope! Learn which ones to mark on your calendar and why, find out why they happen the same time each year, why some are better than others, what makes them so hard to predict and some tips and tricks to see the most meteors.
All ages

NEC 3rd Floor: Windows on the World

11:30am, 2:30pm— Light, Cameras, Astronomy: Applications of Light in the Arts and Sciences 

Presenter: Reilly Milburn, UNC-Chapel Hill Dept of Physics & Astronomy
Artists: Katherine Apuzzo, Antonio Bailey, Joseph Gu, Dillon Ingold, Madison Speyer
While art and science may at first glance seem at odds with one another, these two disciplines have been in conversation throughout history. Within the intersection of art and science, no two disciplines have developed as closely and codependently as photography and astronomy. In studying these different applications of light, we can learn more about how artists and scientists view and study the physical world around them.
12 & up