NEWS

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will host a free Astronomy Day celebration April 24 to mark the international grassroots movement.

The event, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., features fun educational activities for all ages. Participants can launch bubble rockets, create their own Mars rovers and even roast marshmallows in a solar oven.

UNC’s physics and astronomy department will lead guided tours of the Morehead Observatory, and the Morehead Center’s computer labs will be open for hands-on demonstrations of astronomy software.

In addition, the Morehead Center will provide free show admission April 24 to adults purchasing a child’s ticket for any planetarium show beginning before 5:30 p.m.

The offer extends to a special 12:30 p.m. showing of the "Carolina Sky Tales" program. This show, suitable for children ages 5 to 10, will feature volunteers from the UNC’s School of Information and Library Science sharing stories and legends about the night sky.

Also, a free skywatching session is scheduled from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. that day at the Ebenezer Church Recreation Area at Jordan Lake.

Astronomy Day originated in California in 1973 and is celebrated in dozens of countries worldwide.

This year’s celebration falls on the same week as Earth Day. To honor the joint celebration, UNC’s N.C. Botanical Garden will offer tours and scavengers hunts at Coker Arboretum, just a short walk from the Morehead Center.

For more information about Astronomy Day or a complete list of show schedules, click on www.moreheadplanetarium.org or call (919) 962-1236. All outdoor activities are subject to change based on the weather. The Morehead Center is located at 250 E. Franklin St.

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Contact: Joelle Ruben, (919) 962-4275 or jruben@email.unc.edu