Here comes the UNC Science Expo…
And there goes the sun as Morehead Planetarium’s April 6-8 weekend celebration also features an eclipse watch party.
Part of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s extended celebration of its 75th anniversary is a mega weekend filled with engaging and exciting activities April 6-8.
About 10,000 people are expected to attend this year’s UNC Science Expo, held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6 on the grounds around the planetarium, on nearby McCorkle Place and along Franklin Street.
The event features a range of free hands-on activities and science demonstrations:
- Over 100 booths staffed by students, faculty, researchers and others, with lab tours available.
- Live science demonstrations.
- Stage performances, including the Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope team.
Morehead will be open, so attendees may buy tickets for a fulldome planetarium show. Food trucks will also be parked nearby.
The celebration continues April 8 with a total solar eclipse watch party 12:30-4:45 p.m. Weather permitting, free hands-on activities will be available outside, and science educators will help with eclipse viewing at outdoor sun-viewing stations. Eclipse glasses will be sold for $2 at a table outside and at Cosmic Goods inside.
For $10, eclipse fans may buy admission for Carolina Skies: Solar Eclipse, a 30-minute presentation providing information about the causes of solar eclipses. Tickets to the show also include admission to a livestream of the eclipse from totality on the Science Stage, activities in the Launch Lab and other exhibits. Tickets may be purchased in advance.
A similar eclipse watch party at Morehead in 2017 brought thousands to the grounds around the building, a memory Todd Boyette singles out as one of his favorite moments in his nearly two-decade term as director of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
“From celebrating the largest Science Expo in the event’s history, to welcoming back old colleagues and friends, to experiencing a solar eclipse, April is shaping up to be an exciting and special time here at Morehead,” Boyette said.
The UNC Science Expo is a signature event of the North Carolina Science Festival 2024, presented by RTI International, which offers more than 400 science-themed events across North Carolina during April. To find events near you, check out NCSciFest.org.
