Virtual Teen Science Cafe: Women in Engineering Leadership
2020-05-21 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for this Virtual Teen Science Cafe edition with Engineering Manager, Kendra Settles. We’ll talk about women in engineering leadership, and discuss how simple circuits play a role in our lives. Kendra will also show a fun and simple circuit activity that you can try at home!

About Kendra: Kendra works as an Engineering Manager with Siemens in Wendell, North Carolina. Kendra received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Engineering Management. In her role, she manages an Electrical Design Team and specializes in Teaching Simple Circuits and Power Distribution.

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 5:00 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 5:00 p.m. and try again.

360° Video Premiere: Jeepers Creepers Short
2020-05-22 10:00 - 10:30
Trapped in a giant semi-transparent dome, you watch as a single fly buzzes aimlessly above and finally comes to a rest on top. As the lights hauntingly flicker, a cockroach scurries over to the fly and you suddenly realize that you’re not alone – the entire dome is filling up with hundreds of creeping, crawling, slithering insects. Can you identify any of them?

*This fulldome 3 minute short is not recommended for the easily bugged out.*

Please note the length of this video is about 2.5 minutes.

Instructions

Use your mouse and touchpad on your computer to click and drag inside the video. You can also move your phone from left to right or right to left to view the video in all different angles. (*This show can also be viewed using any VR headset or Google Cardboard.)

MAH | Skywatching: Greek Myths & the Spring Sky
2020-05-26 10:00 - 10:30
We’ll combine science and storytelling and learn to find some of the constellations in the current night sky that are associated with Greek myths. You’ll hear how the bears Ursa Major and Ursa Minor got their really long tails, why Corvus the Crow will eternally regret telling a lie about a water snake, and why Hercules is the reason the stars of Cancer the Crab are so dim.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Skywatching: Training astronauts in North Carolina
2020-05-28 10:00 - 10:30
NASA astronauts are headed to the International Space Station today in the first launch of humans from U.S. soil in nearly a decade. Michael Neece (aka Meteor Mike) will explain how Morehead Planetarium trained many of the early NASA astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

Teen Science Cafe: Everyday Biomechanics +Bioengineering
2020-05-28 17:00 - 18:00
Biomedical engineering has a long history that spans more than 3,000 years. Simple crutches and splints are some of the earliest and most basic forms, but humans have made significant progress since then. Prosthesis, artificial organs, and even your favorite wearable tech (smart watch anyone?!) all rely on biomedical engineering research to be successful. Join us for this virtual Teen Science Cafe with Sandra Strangeland-Molo who will talk about biomechanics in everyday life, as well as her research in bone tissue engineering.

About Sandra: Sandra is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and researches biomechanics and bone tissue engineering. Her examines how strokes alter bone composition, as well as, fabricating synthetic bone grafts.

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 5:00 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 5:00 p.m. and try again.

360° Video Premiere: One Giant Leap Short
2020-05-29 10:00 - 10:30
This 360 short is a part of a co-production with the Bell Museum at the University of Minnesota. Using archival recordings of the momentous moments of the Moon landing, One Giant Leap is an immersive view that explores what this event meant to the generation that experienced and discusses what might be the world’s next “giant leap”.

Please note the length of this video is just under 6 minutes.

Instructions

Use your mouse and touchpad on your computer to click and drag inside the video. You can also move your phone from left to right or right to left to view the video in all different angles. (*This show can also be viewed using any VR headset or Google Cardboard.)

MAH | The Sun: the star of our solar system
2020-06-02 10:00 - 10:30
What is the Sun and what is it made of? Just how big is it? How does it compare to the stars we see at night? How do scientists study the Sun? We’ll explore these questions and hitch a virtual ride on NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to find out what more we might learn about our closest star.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

Carolina Science Cafe | CBD oil: a therapeutic cure-all?
2020-06-03 18:00 - 19:00
CBD, an extract from the cannabis or marijuana plant, is gaining attention. Once known as a “hippie’s disappointment,” CBD has now been labeled as a therapeutic cure-all, but its popularity has outpaced the science. How much do we know? Join us for a fascinating discussion of research findings by a team at UNC who are one step closer to treating a rare brain disorder using CBD.

Speaker: Bin Gu, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

More about Bin and his research here: https://www.med.unc.edu/neuroscience/cbd-may-alleviate-seizures-benefit-people-with-neurodevelopmental-conditions/

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 6:00 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 6:00 p.m. and try again.

MAH | Skywatching: Black holes
2020-06-04 10:00 - 10:30
Black holes aren’t just in science fiction. These mysterious objects really exist—including in our own Milky Way galaxy. We’ll learn what a black hole is, where they lurk in our night sky, and why it’d be a really terrible idea to visit one.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

Teen Science Cafe: Blocks and Codes
2020-06-04 17:00 - 18:00
Join us for a conversation with Jessica Amsbary, who will talk about STEM learning opportunity gaps and why starting STEM learning early is important. She will explain how STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center (STEMIE) are planning to teach foundational computational thinking concepts to very young children with differing abilities by sharing a working draft they are developing focused on a series of activities for young children with “blocks and codes.”

About Jessica: Jessica Amsbary is a postdoctoral research scholar at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is currently working on a project focused on engaging all young children, early childhood professionals, and families in STEM learning experiences. She specifically is working with some of her team members on adapting simple coding and computational thinking activities for young children with differing abilities. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Sciences and Special Education from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 5:00 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 5:00 p.m. and try again.

Teen Science Cafe: Searching for Earth 2.0 and other Worlds
2020-06-05 17:00 - 18:00
Is there another world out there suitable for humans? How are humans exploring space to find these worlds and how do they determine their viability? Chat more about these questions and more during a very special Teen Science Cafe with Charlotte Minsky.

About Charlotte: Charlotte is a recent graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying planetary science and the history of science. Her research focuses on extrasolar planets – planets orbiting stars outside our solar system – and how to find and characterize them so that we can better understand all planets and look for potential signs of life. Next year, she will be pursuing an MPhil in the History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine at the University of Cambridge, followed by a PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University.

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 5:00 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 5:00 p.m. and try again.

MAH | Eclipses
2020-06-09 10:00 - 10:30
According to a Korean story, eclipses happen when a king’s fire dogs try to steal light from the Sun or Moon. We’ll tell that story, explain the science behind what causes solar and lunar eclipses, and simulate upcoming eclipses visible from North Carolina.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?
2020-06-11 10:00 - 10:30
Do aliens exist? The Drake Equation provides a way to ponder the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. As a group, we’ll work together to use this equation to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations that we might be able to communicate with in our own galaxy.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

Teen Science Cafe | Bugs in Bugs
2020-06-11 17:00 - 18:00
This week we’ll be joined by Megan Damico for a discussion about BUGS! More specifically, Megan will talk about how different factors – like diet and age – can influence the composition of insect gut microbiomes. Do you know what’s even cooler? She studies all of these things using honey bees!

About Megan: Megan Damico is a third year PhD candidate in Environmental Health Sciences at UNC Greensboro. When she’s not studying, she loves bird watching, reading, and hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 5:00 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 5:00 p.m. and try again.

MAH | June Carolina Skies
2020-06-16 10:00 - 10:30
We’ll tour the June sky as it appears from North Carolina and show you how to identify planets and stars you can see from outside your own home on the next clear night. Make sure you check out the star chart for this month.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | "Where's Orion?"
2020-06-18 10:00 - 10:30
“Where’s Orion?”: the relationship between the seasons and the sky

Why can’t you—or anyone else on our planet—see the constellation Orion the Hunter in the current night sky?

According to Greek myth, it’s the fault of Orion’s enemy, the Scorpion. We’ll tell that story, then we’ll explore the science behind how Earth’s orbit around the Sun determines when we can best see certain star patterns. We’ll also find out why our days are so long and our nights so short at this time of year in the northern hemisphere.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Supernova!
2020-06-23 10:00 - 10:30
Massive stars end their lives with a bang! We’ll discuss what a supernova is, show you an easy demo you can do using materials in your own home, and teach you to identify stars that will eventually go supernova.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Life & death of a star
2020-06-25 10:00 - 10:30
Life and death of a star—in just half an hour

Experience billions of years in the life of a star in just 30 minutes. From objects you can see with the unaided eye to dramatic Hubble Space Telescope imagery, you can see stellar evolution at work in the sky…if you know where to look.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | The sky is a compass
2020-06-30 10:00 - 10:30
Using only your eyes and a clear sky, you can figure out what direction is what in your own neighborhood. We’ll explore two ways to find Polaris—the North Star—in tonight’s sky (as well as one way not to), and we’ll discuss why Polaris lies in the north all night long and all year long. We’ll also discover how the Sun’s position at sunrise and sunset changes over the year.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Early July Carolina Skies
2020-07-02 10:00 - 10:30
We’ll tour the early July sky as it appears from North Carolina and show you how to identify planets and stars you can see from outside your own home on the next clear night. Make sure you check out the star chart for this month.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Star Stories
2020-07-07 10:00 - 10:30
All around the world, people have looked up at the night sky and told stories about what they’ve seen. While using planetarium software to introduce you to tonight’s sky, we’ll share tales of how the Moon got into the sky, how a worm became the Milky Way, why a bear hunt in the sky makes maple trees turn red, and why Coyote doesn’t have his own constellation.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Deep-Sky Objects
2020-07-09 10:00 - 10:30
We’ll use planetarium software to take a tour of the night sky, with a focus on deep-sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. We’ll zoom in to see stunning images of these celestial delights.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Earth, Moon and Sun
2020-07-14 10:00 - 10:30
Why does the Sun rise and set? What does the Moon look like close-up? What causes the Moon to appear to change shape over the month? Let’s explore the relationship between Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. We’ll use planetarium software to help us answer these questions.

To extend this lesson, you can watch the FREE 360° video of Morehead’s planetarium show Earth, Moon and Sun here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuZXKh6Uuao&feature=youtu.be

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Solar System Odyssey
2020-07-16 10:00 - 10:30
Take a virtual trip with us through the solar system as we explore what we’ve learned about our planetary neighbors through our robotic spacecraft.

To extend this lesson, you can watch the FREE video of Morehead’s planetarium show Solar System Odyssey here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqMsnhFgBOA&feature=youtu.be

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Giant Leaps
2020-07-21 10:00 - 10:30
Fifty-one
years ago yesterday, a human being first walked on the Moon, in what astronaut
Neil Armstrong called a “giant leap” for humankind. What might our next giant
leaps be?

To learn more about the Apollo 11 Moon landing, watch Morehead’s 6-minute 360° video One Giant Leap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPsNUPdQC_4&feature=youtu.be.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Late July Carolina Skies
2020-07-23 10:00 - 10:30
We’ll tour the late July sky as it appears from North Carolina and show you how to identify planets and stars you can see from outside your own home on the next clear night. Make sure you check out the star chart for this month.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Mission to Mars
2020-07-28 10:00 - 10:30
We’re going to Mars!

NASA is about to launch a new rover, named Perseverance, to the Red Planet. We’ll go over the basics of this mission, including how the rover got named, when it’ll launch and how you can watch, when and where and how the rover will land on Mars, and what it’ll do once it gets there.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Mission to Mars (Part II)
2020-07-30 10:00 - 10:30
Okay, you couldn’t get enough of our Tuesday’s Mission to Mars session, so we’re back for part two!

NASA is about to launch a new rover to Mars. What we do already know about this planet, and how do we know it? We’ll take a look at some previous missions to Mars and discuss what we’ve learned from them about this cold desert world. We’ll also show you how to find Mars in the sky tonight.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Spot the Station
2020-08-04 10:00 - 10:30
Two NASA astronauts are expected to return to Earth from the International Space Station on August 2nd! Find out what was historic about their mission and how to spot the space station in your sky tonight.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.

MAH | Perseid Meteor Shower
2020-08-11 10:00 - 10:30
The best summertime meteor shower peaks tonight. Find out what a meteor (“shooting star”) is, what one looks like, and how you can view the Perseid meteor shower tonight if the weather permits. Here’s your handy checklist for viewing the 2020 Perseid meteor shower.

*Please Note: Registration is not required. The Zoom link will not be live until 10:00 a.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 10:00 a.m. and try again.
