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Dr. Dan Caton<\/strong><\/p>\n Appalachian State University<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Join us for an update on the increasing threat of losing the dark night sky due to satellite constellations, including BlueWalker and Reflect Orbital. Learn what the new Campus SHINE program is doing to assess and improve campus lighting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Dr. Rachel Smith<\/strong><\/p>\n Head, Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Lab and Curator of Meteorites, NC Museum of Natural Sciences<\/em><\/p>\n Professor, Appalachian State University<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Our Moon has been a source of human inspiration and adventure throughout history. The Moon is also a critical part of what keeps our planet habitable \u2014 unique among planets in the solar system. We will tap into the scientific and cultural influences of our Moon on the evolution of life and human endeavors that spur our species forward and how it continues to shape our connections to the cosmos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Greg Sloan<\/strong><\/p>\n Space Telescope Science Institute<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The James Webb Space Telescope can see deeper into space and in more detail than any other telescope and it’s changing our view on how galaxies, stars and planets form \u2014 but it can’t look at the Moon. Find out how and why!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Doug Lively, Michael Keefe, Alan Rich<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassadors<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Join us for an inspiring panel discussion on NASA\u2019s Artemis mission, humanity\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Tony Verdone<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Raleigh Astronomy Club<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Discover how to explore the night sky like a true amateur astronomer by using simple binoculars to telescopes. Engage in hands-on activities with a planisphere to unlock the constellations and navigate the stars with confidence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Tonya Holy Elk<\/strong><\/p>\n Author\/Poet<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n For generations, Grandmother Moon has served as a marker of time for Native Americans, long before the creation of calendars. The moon guides various cycles and events, connecting humans, plants, and animals to the natural world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Ron Monti<\/strong><\/p>\n Raleigh Astronomy Club<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Dr. Dan Caton<\/strong><\/p>\n Appalachian State University<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n We will show real-time remote connection to Appalachian state’s Dark Sky Observatory and who how we do our science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Stefan Will<\/strong><\/p>\n Raleigh Astronomy Club<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n What would our home look like from light-years away? Just another faint dot circling an ordinary star? We explore whether today\u2019s telescopes could discover an Earth-like world \u2014 even if that world were our own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Michael P. Keefe<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Discover the story of the Hubble Space Telescope from its origins and bold repair missions to the groundbreaking Alan Rich<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n A look at surprise visits from interstellar comets and dangerous asteroids. Including alien planets and other strange things lurking up there!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Matthew Funke<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Tony Verdone<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Raleigh Astronomy Club<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Seth Hetherington<\/strong><\/p>\n Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observing Society (CHAOS)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Whether you want to explore the night sky by unaided eye, binoculars or a telescope, this talk will get you started finding what’s up. We will talk about getting oriented to the constellations, how to plan, locate and view the great stuff the night sky has to offer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Doug Lively<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n A look at how lunar science and exploration have advanced since 1969. Learn how the upcoming missions are reshaping our goals for the Moon\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mike Keefe, Doug Lively<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassadors<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Jeff Qualls<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Check out our update to the Europa Clipper mission that launched in October 2024. This will include the March 2025 Mars flyby for a gravitational assist, with testing of scientific instruments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Christopher Rowe<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Black Holes are known as such massive objects that nothing, not even light, can escape their gravitational pull. That’s not the only “weird” object \u2014 take a tour through the universe to see just how weird things can get.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Ken Brandt<\/strong><\/p>\n Robeson Planetarium and Science Center, NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Marc Fusco<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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 \u2014 in a good way!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Marc Fusco<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassadors<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Abbas Mokhtarzadeh<\/strong><\/p>\n IAUCoNOC USA, NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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 \u2014 kids, families, and aspiring citizen scientists \u2014 to connect with the wonders above!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Matthew Funke<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Space is enormous, spaceflight is difficult, and planets are (relatively) tiny. \u00a0How do we manage to get space missions to go where we want them to go? Learn some of the basics of spaceflight and how we manage to get around.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Shawn D. Bayle<\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\/JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n SECU Daily Planet Theater – NRC 1-3 11am Dr. Dan Caton Appalachian State University Light Pollution: an Update on the Threat to Lose the Night Sky Join us for an update on the increasing threat of losing the dark night sky due to satellite constellations, including BlueWalker and Reflect Orbital. Learn what the new Campus… Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"tribe_events_cat":[38,3,4,5,6,18,8],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tribe_events\/113263"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tribe_events"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/tribe_events"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113263"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tribe_events\/113263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114916,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tribe_events\/113263\/revisions\/114916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113263"},{"taxonomy":"tribe_events_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tribe_events_cat?post=113263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\nLight Pollution: an Update on the Threat to Lose the Night Sky<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n12:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nLife and the Moon<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n2pm<\/h3>\n
\nHow the James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionizing astronomy, even if it can’t look at the Moon<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n3:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nNASA Is Returning to the Moon\u2014Are You Ready for Artemis?<\/h3>\n
\nWindows on the World – NEC 3<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\n\n11:30am<\/h3>\n
\nHow to Become an Amateur Astronomer<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n12:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nLuna Speaks<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n1:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nWhat If Our Moon Didn’t Exist?<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n2:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nRemote Observing at AppState’s Dark Sky Observatory<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n3:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nIf Earth Were an Exoplanet, Could We Find It?<\/h3>\n
\nSaturn – NRC 4<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\n\n11am<\/h3>\n
\nCelebrating 35 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope<\/h3>\n
\nscience and awe-inspiring images it has delivered. Learn how Hubble transformed our view of the cosmos and what its future
\nholds in the era of next-generation space telescopes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\nNoon<\/h3>\n
\nInterstellar visitors, Dangerous asteroids, Alien planets, and other things lurking up there<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n1pm<\/h3>\n
\nAverting Armageddon<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n2pm<\/h3>\n
\nWatching Blue Whales from Space!<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n3pm<\/h3>\n
\nHow to find interesting stuff in the sky<\/h3>\n
\nUranus – NRC 4<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\n\n11:30am<\/h3>\n
\nThe Moon Then and Now: From Apollo to Artemis and Beyond<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n12:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nSolar System Smack Down: Mars vs. Venus<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n1:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nEuropa Clipper: Mission to an Ocean World<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n2:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nThe Weirdest Objects in the Universe<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n3:30pm<\/h3>\n
\nThe Evidence for Life on Mars<\/h3>\n
\nNeptune – NRC 4<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n11am<\/h3>\n
\nSpaceX and Commercial Space Report 2025<\/h3>\n
\n\n\nNoon<\/h3>\n
\nHuman Spaceflight Report 2025<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n1pm<\/h3>\n
\nCelestial Connections: Stories of the Sky for Everyone<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n2pm<\/h3>\n
\nGetting from Here to There<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n3pm<\/h3>\n
\nFinding Another Earth: Discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope<\/h3>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"