Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2026-05-19 20:30 - 22:30, 2026-06-09 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-07-21 20:30 - 22:30, 2026-09-15 19:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | 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 free night of skywatching!

Yoga Under The Stars
2026-05-20 18:00 - 19:00

Science for All: A Sensory-Friendly Science Night
2026-06-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Experience the wonders of science in a sensory-friendly environment! These special events feature interactive activities, engaging fulldome theater shows, captivating exhibits, and dynamic science performances. With changes made to fit various sensory sensitivities, Sensory-Friendly Science Nights are perfect for all ages and offer a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy science.

Saturday Science Sparks: The Spectrum of Science
2026-06-27 10:00 - 15:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
The Spectrum of Science

In June’s Saturday Science Sparks session, dive into new STEM experiences! As an initiative bringing you up close to current science, we’re excited to welcome UNC-Chapel Hill’s Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) for a day of interactive activities. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, visit our Launch Lab to create DNA bracelets, experiment with pipette art, and split light into a spectrum!

Included with paid admission and located in the Launch Lab.

MORE is happening at Morehead this year

New for 2026, Saturday Science Sparks offers Morehead guests a closer encounter with current science. Covering topics like astronomy, the physics of juggling, and computer science, this program collaborates with community partners and academic clubs, bringing you up-close experiences in the exciting world of STEAM. Saturday Science Sparks is open to the public and included in admission.

Carolina Science Cafe: Philosophy of Science
2026-07-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Three Insights from Philosophy of Science That Really Matter Right Now

Most of us have strong opinions about whether to “trust the science” and assume the reasons why science is worth trusting are obvious. But we rarely stop to ask whether what we assume about science is actually right, and how those assumptions are shaping the way we respond to some of today’s most contentious controversies about science—from vaccine skepticism to debates about biological categories to the rise of AI in research.

In this month’s Carolina Science Cafe, Dr. Katie Deaven unpacks some common assumptions about how scientific knowledge is built, where it can go wrong, and what follows for how we engage with these contemporary critiques of science. Drawing on work in the philosophy of science, we’ll see that these assumptions are oversimplified in ways that can actually get in the way of engaging effectively in these controversies. A little philosophy of science goes a long way, though, in helping us see exactly where they fall short and the more interesting and productive discussions lying in wait.

Designed for adults, Carolina Science Cafe is a free program that explores science topics making national and international headlines, offering the chance to meet the experts behind the work. This special program is hosted at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro on the first Tuesday of every month. Light appetizers are available for all attendees.

About the Speaker

Dr. Katie Deaven (she/her), Teaching Assistant Professor of Philosophy, UNC-Chapel Hill

Katie Deaven is a Teaching Assistant Professor in Philosophy at UNC-Chapel Hill. She received her PhD from UW-Madison and specializes in the philosophy of science and philosophy of biology. She has taught courses in these areas as well as philosophy of technology and bioethics, and she loves designing events that bring philosophy to public audiences ranging from kindergarteners to adults.

More about Dr. Deaven

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Saturday Science Sparks: Coastal Frequencies
2026-07-25 13:00 - 16:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Coastal Frequencies: Explore the underwater sonic ecology of North Carolina’s coast!

What does it sound like under the ocean? On Saturday, July 25, join artist Madeleine Popkin in a special Saturday Sparks exploration of underwater sounds recorded off the coast of Beaufort, North Carolina! Madeleine will pair her paintings with visitor listening stations featuring recordings by marine bioacoustics researcher Dr. Shannon Brown. An ambient soundscape, composed of underwater recordings from North Carolina’s coast, will immerse you in a watery world.

You can meet Madeleine in the Gateway Gallery from 1 to 4 p.m. as she presents her project and the power of combining art and science.

All ages welcome. This special program is included in admission.

About the Artist

Madeleine Popkin is an interdisciplinary artist from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, working with painting and sound-based installation. Her practice engages bioacoustic research through the translation of scientific data and field recordings into immersive experiences. She collaborates with bioacoustic researchers to develop works that make human impact on the environment viscerally perceptible. She received a BFA from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.

A screenshot of audio in the software Audacity

A past spectrogram painting by Madeleine Popkin

Artist Statement

My work uses painting and sound to translate environmental research into embodied experience. I collaborate with underwater bioacoustic researchers and coastal labs, working directly with recordings produced through site-specific field research. These recordings are not neutral documents; they carry the structure of marine life: communication for navigation, reproduction, socialization, and survival. I examine how human and nonhuman systems overlap and persist over time by working with recordings of coastal environments and anthropogenic noise pollution. I treat this sound data as material that shapes composition, rhythm, and density in painting and corresponding soundscapes, inviting the audience to experience the same coastal environments through sound and image.

Learn more about Madeleine

This program is supported by the Orange County Arts Commission

MORE is happening at Morehead this year

New for 2026, Saturday Science Sparks offers Morehead guests a closer encounter with current science. Covering topics like astronomy, the physics of juggling, and computer science, this program collaborates with community partners and academic clubs, bringing you up-close experiences in the exciting world of STEAM. Saturday Science Sparks is open to the public and included in admission.

Carolina Science Cafe: GLP-1s
2026-08-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
What are GLP-1s?

See you at August’s Carolina Science Cafe! In this session, Dr. Jonathan Campbell of Duke University will present a brief history of the evolution of GLP-1 medications and where this field is heading.

Designed for adults, Carolina Science Cafe is a free program that explores science topics making national and international headlines, offering the chance to meet the experts behind the work. This special program is hosted at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro on the first Tuesday of every month. Light appetizers are available for all attendees.

About the Speaker

Dr. Jonathan Campbell is an associate professor of medicine at Duke University and a member of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. His group studies how incretins like GLP-1 work to regulate metabolism in the context of health, diabetes, obesity, and related diseases.

More about Dr. Campbell’s work

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Skywatching & Show: Lunar Eclipse
2026-08-27 21:30 - 2026-08-28 00:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Celebrate the lunar eclipse with Morehead’s astronomy educators!

On Thursday, August 27, celebrate the partial lunar eclipse with a special evening at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center! Under the climate-controlled, always-clear planetarium sky, we’ll simulate the eclipse, tour the North Carolina night sky, and take a spectacular journey through our universe. If the weather permits, join us after the show for eclipse observing from the Morehead Sundial.

Schedule

9:30 – 10:30 PM | Carolina Skies: Lunar Eclipse show

10:30 PM – 12:30 AM | Free skywatching (weather permitting)

Tickets for Carolina Skies: Lunar Eclipse are available starting on Monday, July 27. UNC-Chapel Hill students can enjoy $6 tickets to the planetarium show. Log in to Heel Life to receive your student discount code!

Carolina Skies tickets

Before You Go: Helpful Tips & Important Details

To make the most of your evening under the stars, we suggest bringing a cozy blanket or some chairs. For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, we kindly ask that you leave your pets at home, even if they’re on a leash. The combination of darkness, crowds, expensive telescopes, and pets isn’t ideal, and pets won’t be allowed near the telescopes.

Please note that this event is weather-dependent. In the event of a cancellation, we will provide updates on our website and social media. We can’t wait to share the wonders of the night sky with you!

Have more questions about skywatching? Visit our FAQs page!

Skywatching FAQs

Sensory-Friendly Science Night
2026-09-18 18:00 - 20:00

Saturday Science Sparks
2026-09-26 10:00 - 15:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
The Science of Sea Turtles

Save the date! This September, we’ll welcome UNC’s Lohmann Lab for a session of Saturday Science Sparks. More details and information will be available soon!

MORE is happening at Morehead this year

New for 2026, Saturday Science Sparks offers Morehead guests a closer encounter with current science. Covering topics like astronomy, the physics of juggling, and computer science, this program collaborates with community partners and academic clubs, bringing you up-close experiences in the exciting world of STEAM. Saturday Science Sparks is open to the public and included in admission.

Saturday Science Sparks
2026-10-10 10:00 - 15:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
The Science of Coastal Frequencies

Save the date! This October, we’ll welcome UNC’s Sockman Lab and the UNC Avian Society for a session of Saturday Science Sparks. More details and information will be available soon!

MORE is happening at Morehead this year

New for 2026, Saturday Science Sparks offers Morehead guests a closer encounter with current science. Covering topics like astronomy, the physics of juggling, and computer science, this program collaborates with community partners and academic clubs, bringing you up-close experiences in the exciting world of STEAM. Saturday Science Sparks is open to the public and included in admission.
