SECU Daily Planet Theater – NRC 1-3
11am
Abbas Mokhtarzadeh
IAUCoNOC USA, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Celestial Connections: Stories of the Sky for Everyone
Join us for an inspiring journey through the night sky, exploring how the stars have shaped cultures, guided daily life and inspired people around the world. Celebrate the contributions of women in astronomy and discover simple, hands-on ways for everyone — kids, families, and aspiring citizen scientists — to connect with the wonders above!
12:30pm
Matthew Funke
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Averting Armageddon
Around 66 million years ago, an asteroid hit the Earth and upset the global climate for years, resulting in the extinction of the dinosaurs. They didn’t have a space program, but we do! What are we doing to avoid the same fate? Join to learn the answer to this question.
2pm
Doug Lively, Michael Keefe, Alan Rich
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors
NASA Is Returning to the Moon—Are You Ready for Artemis?
Join us for an inspiring panel discussion on NASA’s Artemis mission, humanity’s bold return to the Moon! We’re spotlighting the engineering behind the powerful SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft that will return astronauts, including North Carolina’s own Christina Koch back to the Moon.
3:30pm
Mike Keefe, Doug Lively
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors
Solar System Smack Down: Mars vs. Venus
The Earth, 3rd rock from the Sun, orbits between other rocky planets like Mars and Venus. 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.
Windows on the World – NEC 3
11:30am
Dr. Dan Caton
Appalachian State University
Remote Observing at AppState’s Dark Sky Observatory
Watch a real-time remote connection to Appalachian state’s Dark Sky Observatory and who how we do our science.
12:30pm
Marc Fusco
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Raleigh Astronomy Club
SpaceX and Commercial Space Report 2025
We’ll review the exciting things that went on in the world of commercial space in 2025. Dive into what SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, and what the rest are up to, to determine whether they had good or bad years. See how things in commercial space are blowing up — in a good way!
2:30pm
Matthew Funke
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Getting from Here to There
Gather around and explore the night sky through stories from cultures across the globe. From ancient myths and navigational tales to modern discoveries, learn how people past and present have interpreted the stars. See these stories come to life through live science demonstrations of celestial navigation technologies and planetary motion. This interactive experience blends dynamic storytelling, hands-on science, and cultural history to celebrate our shared human fascination with the stars.
3:30pm
Alan Rich
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Interstellar visitors, Dangerous asteroids, Alien planets, and other things lurking up there
A look at surprise visits from interstellar comets and dangerous asteroids. Including alien planets and other strange things lurking up there!
Saturn – NRC 4
11am
Tony Verdone
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Raleigh Astronomy Club
How We Know What We Know: Measuring Distances Across the Cosmos
Embark on a journey through the cosmic distance ladder to uncover how astronomers measure the vast expanse from our Moon to the most distant galaxies. Discover the ingenious methods and breakthroughs that turned the unknown depths of space into a precisely mapped universe.
Noon
Ron Monti
Raleigh Astronomy Club
What If Our Moon Didn’t Exist?
Life would be very different on Earth (and might not be possible at all) if it were not for our Moon. Come find out the many reasons why it is so important.
1pm
Doug Lively
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Astronomy at Glacier National Park
As night falls in the great northern rockies, silent sentinels march across the sky in an endless dance marking the gradual shift from one season to another. 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’.
2pm
Tony Verdone
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Raleigh Astronomy Club
Watching Blue Whales from Space!
Blue whales are the largest creatures to have ever lived on Earth and are endangered. NASA and NOAA are turning their eyes from the skies, using advanced satellite technology to track these ocean giants across the globe. Their mission: to protect blue whales from deadly ship strikes and ensure their survival for generations to come.
Uranus – NRC 4
11:30am
Doug Lively
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
The Moon Then and Now: From Apollo to Artemis and Beyond
A look at how lunar science and exploration have advanced since 1969. Learn how the upcoming missions are reshaping our goals for the Moon’s future.
12:30pm
Jeff Qualls
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Europa Clipper: Mission to an Ocean World
Check out our update to the Europa Clipper mission that launched in October 2024. Testing of scientific instruments allowed for the March 2025 Mars flyby for a gravitational assist.
1:30pm
Ken Brandt
Robeson Planetarium and Science Center, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
The Evidence for Life on Mars
Mars continues to provide tantalizing hints that it may have been host to living things and it can be for now. What should happen in order to answer this question?
Neptune – NRC 4
Noon
Alan Rich
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Monster rockets. Comparing Starship with NASA’s SLS and Saturn V
Take a look into the world of monster rockets! We’ll be comparing today’s biggest — NASA’s SLS and the SpaceX Starship with the legendary Saturn V moon rocket.
2:30pm
Marc Fusco
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Human Spaceflight Report 2025
Review a banner year in human spaceflight and how things are shaping up for the rest of the 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.
3:30pm
Shawn D. Bayle
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Finding Another Earth: Discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope
Join us for an overview of the history of exoplanet discovery, the Webb Telescope and its orbiting sister observatories. We’ll take a deeper dive into recent discoveries probing the existence of potentially habitable planets and their moons, including the next steps in exoplanetary science.