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Thursday, December 04, 2008
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Escape into outer space at the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center in Chapel Hill! For stargazers, space enthusiasts and the like, the planetarium opens up the skies and now other science fields such as genetics, virtual reality and nanotechnology.
In the late 1930s John Motley Morehead III decided he owed his alma mater, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, a debt of gratitude. The 1891 graduate proposed the gift of a planetarium and brought a Harvard Astronomer to the area for a consult. That astronomer, Harlow Shapley, agreed North Carolinians were in need of astronomical education. So they built a planetarium!
It offers special events and programs around the year ranging from the annual black-tie Jupiter Ball to monthly sky-watching sessions and classes.
The planetarium is open for business Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Friday from 10-5 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m., Saturday 10-5 and 6:30-9:30 and Sunday 12:30-5 p.m. Admission is free to members, adult non-members pay $6 and children and seniors pay $5. Tickets go on sale a half hour before show times.
Address:
250 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
The planetarium recently expanded is mission (2002) to encompass other sciences and was renamed from the Morehead Planetarium to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
The planetarium started a different program in 2000 called Destiny. Destiny is a Traveling Science Learning Program, a formal science education initiative, for pre-college teachers and student all over North Carolina. The year-round program brings effective science learning to students and provides support for teachers. It started in 2000 and has served thousands over the years. In 2005-06, the program served 8,363 students in 158 schools across the state and trained 455 teachers.
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