Museum’s Astronomy Days Highlights Solar System Missions, Feb. 1-2
January 24, 2025
Get ready for lift off when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosts Astronomy Days, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1-2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Go on a celestial adventure that explores the wonders of the universe through technology, telescopes, engaging talks and a cluster of hands-on activities.
Visitors are invited to safely look at the Sun through solar telescopes, learn why the Northern Lights were visible in the Carolinas recently and what the chances are of seeing them again this year. Visitors can also design their own rocket to blast off on the plaza, drive a Mars rover designed by local highschoolers, make a comet on a stick, discover how much they weigh on Venus and how high they could jump on Pluto.
This year’s special guest presenter is Space Chef Vickie Kloeris, a food scientist with an out-of-this-world career. She worked at NASA for 34 years, 29 as manager of the Shuttle and International Space Station food systems. She and her teams overcame the complex challenges of creating tasty, nutritious, long-lasting, easy-to-prepare meals that support the dietary and psychological needs of astronauts in space. Other Astronomy Days presentations include “UFOs: Fact vs. Fiction” and “The Case for Life on Mars.”
Don’t forget to visit the Museum’s current special exhibition, “Journey to Space.” Developed in partnership with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, this exhibition invites visitors to explore the extraordinary environment of space, including the dangers that astronauts face during their missions above Earth and the adaptations that engineers have developed to help them survive while in space. Free for Members; $16 for Adults; $12 for Children 3-12.
Astronomy Days is presented in collaboration with the Raleigh Astronomy Club. The event is made possible with sponsorship support from NC Space Grant, Janice Swab and Carter Bank, as well as in-kind support from Pepsi Bottling Ventures. For more information about Astronomy Days, visit naturalsciences.org/astrodays or contact Kari Wouk at kari.wouk@naturalsciences.org or 919.707.9879.
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