Photo, left, courtesy of Eric Valarde, The Daily Tar Heel.

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s Family Science Day series invites children and adults to join in the fun of investigating the world around us. Led by science educators and research scientists, Morehead Family Science activities promote cooperative discovery of basic scientific principles, current science happenings and science-based careers.

What is the latest in astronomy news? How will recent space missions affect current science? This Family Science Night will take you on an up-close investigation of outer space!

Two special versions of the popular "Carolina Skies" planetarium show will be offered—"Carolina Skies: The Time Machine" at 6 p.m. and "Carolina Skies: Discovering Planets" at 8 p.m. Regular ticket prices apply for these live star shows.

Relive history with a visit from Johannes Kepler, played by John McFarland. Kepler was a German astronomer who discovered how planets move around the Sun in the early 17th century. Presentations will be at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Family Science Night will also feature guest speaker Zena Cardman, a UNC student who has participated in several NASA research and training missions across the globe, from the Arctic to the Arizona Desert.

Other activities include:

• Building your own Mars lander
• Warping space-time
• Observing the night sky with telescopes
• Constellation tours
• Star counting
• Creating your own constellation

Regular ticket prices apply to special star theater shows. All other activities are free. No registration required.