Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Symphony Under The Stars
2023-04-16 19:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | GSK Fulldome Theater

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2023-05-22 20:00 - 23:00, 2023-07-10 20:00 - 23:00, 2023-07-24 20:00 - 23:00, 2023-09-25 20:00 - 23:00 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights. Stop by for guided constellation tours and educational activities, all while enjoying music from DJ Mic Check. Music begins at 8:00 pm and stargazing begins at 9:00 pm. This skywatching event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

[CANCELED] Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2023-08-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
This event has been canceled due to weather.

Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights. Stop by for guided constellation tours and educational activities, all while enjoying music from DJ Mic Check. Music begins at 8:00 pm and stargazing begins at 9:00 pm. This skywatching event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2023-10-16 18:30 - 21:30 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights. Stop by for guided constellation tours and educational activities, all while enjoying music from DJ Mic Check. Music begins at 6:30 pm and stargazing begins at 7:30 pm. This skywatching event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

Total Eclipse: An Astronomer’s Call to Worship
2024-03-23 15:30 - 17:00 | Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
After April 8, 2024, the next total solar eclipse visible to most of the U.S. will be in two decades. Want to prepare ahead of time?

At 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, join Dr. Sheila Kannappan for the “Total Eclipse: An Astronomer’s Call to Worship” session. Attendees will explore the many layers of meaning behind an eclipse, both scientific and divine.

Spots are available with registration in Meeting Room B of Chapel Hill Public Library or via Zoom. Register online and get ready for the Solar Eclipse Party at Morehead!

Register

Solar Eclipse Party
2024-04-08 12:30 - 16:45 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Join Morehead as we celebrate the solar eclipse! Outdoor activities are free and include solar observing, hands-on astronomy activities, and more. Ticketed admission in the building includes a live stream of the eclipse from totality, meteorite activities, and special eclipse-themed screenings of Carolina Skies in our Fulldome theater. Our museum store will also sell eclipse glasses on the day of the event and other merchandise as supplies last.

We are currently out of stock of eclipse glasses, but we will have a limited amount available for purchase on Monday, April 8. The limit is two per person.

Activities

Outdoors — Free

Telescopes and sunspotters for solar observing

Gift shop table with eclipse glasses and other merchandise

Hands-on solar and eclipse activities, and more!

Indoors — $10 admission

A live stream of the eclipse from totality on our Science Stage

Meteorites and other indoor activities in our Launch Lab

Carolina Skies: Solar Eclipse (SOLD OUT) – a 30-minute presentation providing information about the causes of solar eclipses and a special look at a total solar eclipse in the planetarium.

Tickets go on sale Monday, March 25. Guest passes, memberships, and walk-up discounts such as UNC students and Museums 4 All are not applicable for this event.

Apollo Remastered: A High Definition Presentation by Andy Saunders
2024-04-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Join us for an unforgettable evening as imaging specialist Andy Saunders takes us on a journey through the Apollo missions using his meticulously remastered photographs. Andy also explains the cutting-edge techniques applied to scans of the original film to create the highest-quality Apollo photographs ever produced. Revealing details that have been lost for half a century, they offer astounding new insight and a mesmerizing retrospective of humankind’s greatest adventure.

There will be a book signing event for Saunders’ “Apollo Remastered” book from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. This event is open to ticketholders, and copies of the book will also be available for purchase at the Cosmic Goods gift shop. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Get tickets

About the Author

Andy Saunders is a British author, science writer, and one of the world’s foremost experts of NASA digital restoration.

In 2023, he received the coveted Royal Photographic Society Award for Scientific Imaging, and his collaboration with Tom Hanks to showcase the images in “The Moonwalkers,” an immersive show in London, opened to wide critical acclaim.

His book, “Apollo Remastered,” released in September 2022, became an instant Sunday Times Bestseller in the UK and the biggest selling book on the Apollo program since records began. It was shortlisted by Barnes & Noble for Book Of The Year, 2022, and awarded Space Hipsters’ Book Of The Year in the same year.

Yoga Under The Stars
2024-10-02 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-10-09 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-10-16 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-10-23 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-02-05 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-02-12 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-02-19 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-02-26 18:00 - 19:00 and 4 more dates

Science for All: A Sensory-Friendly Science Night
2024-11-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Join Us at Science for All: A Sensory-Friendly Science Night!

Experience the wonders of science in a sensory-friendly environment! On Saturday, November 23, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will host a special event featuring interactive activities, engaging fulldome theater shows, captivating exhibits, and dynamic science performances. With changes made to fit various sensory sensitivities, this event is perfect for all ages and offers a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy science.

Learn More

Skywatching at Little River Regional Park
2024-12-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Little River Regional Park, 301 Little River Park Way, Rougemont, North Carolina, 27572, United States
Join staff and volunteers from Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society (CHAOS) for a skywatching event at Little River Regional Park!

This is an informal session, so you can arrive and leave at any time during the program. However, if you plan to attend, we suggest bringing a blanket or chairs and some snacks so you can relax under the stars.

Please leave all pets at home, even those on a leash. Darkness, lots of people, expensive telescopes, and pets on leashes are a bad combination. Pets will not be permitted near the telescopes.

Have more questions about skywatching? Visit our FAQs page!

Skywatching FAQs

The Restless Universe (and the Periodic Table)
2025-04-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
About This Event

As a North Carolina Science Festival event, UNC’s Institute for Cosmology, Subatomic Matter & Symmetries invites you to Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for a special talk by distinguished speaker Shri Kulkarni of Caltech.

The Restless Universe (and the Periodic Table)

Following the Big Bang, the universe was uniform and devoid of chemistry – until stars forged the elements that makeup the periodic table. Astronomers have since uncovered numerous cosmic explosions, with supernovae being the most prominent.

The Palomar Transient Factory and its successor, the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF), have revolutionized our ability to detect these celestial events using cutting edge telescopes and advanced software. This talk will explore groundbreaking discoveries, from super-luminous supernovae to planets being consumed by aging stars, paving the way for the next generation of wide-field survey telescopes that will transform our view of the dynamic universe.

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2025-06-17 20:30 - 22:30 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights! On June 17, experience stunning views, guided constellation tours, and craft cocktails, all while enjoying music from local DJs. Music begins at 8:00 p.m. and stargazing begins at 8:30 p.m.

Views from The Durham is free and open to all ages. Please note that this event is weather-dependent.

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2025-07-01 20:30 - 22:30 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights! On July 1, experience stunning views, guided constellation tours, and craft cocktails, all while enjoying music from DJ Mic Check. In this session, Morehead astronomy educators will focus on the 5-day waxing crescent moon and Mars. Music begins at 8:00 p.m. and stargazing begins at 8:30 p.m.

Views from The Durham is free and open to all ages. Please note that this event is weather-dependent.

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2025-07-29 20:30 - 22:30 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights! On July 29, experience stunning views, guided constellation tours, and craft cocktails, all while enjoying music from DJ Mic Check. In this session, Morehead astronomy educators will focus on the 4-day waxing crescent moon and Mars. Music begins at 8:00 p.m. and stargazing begins at 8:30 p.m.

Views from The Durham is free and open to all ages. Please note that this event is weather-dependent.

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2025-08-26 19:30 - 21:30 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a series of telescopic stargazing nights! On August 26, experience stunning views, guided constellation tours, and craft cocktails, all while enjoying music from local DJs. In this session, Morehead astronomy educators will focus on the 2-day waxing crescent moon with Mars nearby. Music begins at 7:00 p.m. and stargazing begins at 7:30 p.m.

Views from The Durham is free and open to all ages. Please note that this event is weather-dependent.

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2025-09-16 20:00 - 22:00 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Event Update

Views from The Durham is still on for September 16! While it will be too cloudy for telescopes, the Morehead crew will be under The Durham Hotel’s covered roof with stellar space-themed activities.

Join us on the roof of The Durham Hotel for a stargazing night! On Tuesday, September 16, experience stunning views, guided constellation tours, and craft cocktails, all while enjoying music from DJ Gemynii. In this session, Morehead astronomy educators will focus on Saturn, which should be visible in the night sky with no moon to outshine it. Music begins at 8:00 p.m. and stargazing begins at 8:30 p.m.

Views from The Durham is free and open to all ages. Please note that this event is weather-dependent.
