With
one more morning left in North Carolina we headed to the University of North Carolina
campus in Chapel Hill to visit the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center. The
complex was built as a gift from John Morehead III, UNC class of 1891, and
opened its doors in 1949. The GlaxoSmithKline Fulldome Theater is in the
Morehead building, which also houses the Science Stage, classrooms, exhibits, the
UNC Visitor Center and the Observatory.
We
bought tickets for the Planetarium show “Earth, Moon and Sun.” Although geared
towards 7-13 year olds, Lauris and Mikus thoroughly enjoyed it, laughing loudly
and repeatedly at the antics of Coyote, a cartoon character adapted from Native
American folk tales. With his help we explored the relationship between the earth,
moon and sun, and even got a guided tour of the evening nighttime sky by the
astronomer on duty. The boys have been more interested in the phases of the
moon since the harvest eclipse moon last month, and this awareness has only
increased since our visit. On the other
hand, the one-year old mostly slept, as the theatre was dark and my lap warm…
After
the show we took a look at the various exhibits in the lower level of the
planetarium. The most famous visitors to Morehead were the US astronauts in
training for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, including Edwin E. Aldrin
Jr., Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and Alan B. Shepard Jr. among others.
A quick
stop in the souvenir store later we were already headed out the door, anxious
to get back to the hotel and start the next leg of our journey. The morning had
turned cool and rainy, and so large sundial on Franklin Street threw no shadow.
We took a look nonetheless, the task of explaining how it works harder when it’s
not operational, and then we were off. The Planetarium is high on my list of
places in the Chapel Hill/Durham area I would recommend to visitors, and we
might return on our next visit to the region to catch one of the other shows.
* Morehead's
programs include classes for adults and children, special courses for teachers,
summer camps for children, afterschool programs, memberships, public viewings
of astronomical events and lectures. It’s a good idea to call/check the website
for scheduling information before your visit, as there are numerous shows aimed
at a variety of ages, and on days when large groups visit shows can be sold
out. Note for Roper Mountain Science Center members - Morehead participates in
the ASTC Travel Passport Program, and so members can receive 2-for-1 admission
to all regularly scheduled shows.
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