Upcoming Events
Views from The Durham 2019
Mon, Jun 10, 2019 to Mon, Aug 12, 2019
Stargazing 9-11pm | Music 8-10pm
Join us on the roof for our final telescopic stargazing night of the season hosted by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the Innovate Your Cool Conference. Stop by for guided constellation tours, music from DJ Mic Check, and celestial cocktail creations from the bar.
Free and Family Friendly!
8-10pm | Music with DJ Mic Check
9-11pm | Stargazing with Morehead Planetarium
June 10
Views: Jupiter at opposition
The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Jupiter and its moons as the planet will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long.
June 24
Views: Mercury (nearly) at greatest eastern elongation
Mercury’s orbit lies closer to the Sun than the Earth’s, meaning it always appears close to the Sun and is lost in the Sun’s glare much of the time. It is observable for only a few days each time it reaches greatest separation from the Sun – moments referred to as greatest elongation. When it lies to the east, it rises and sets a short time after the Sun and is visible in early evening twilight.
July 8
Views: Saturn (nearly) at opposition
Saturn will be well placed for observation, in the constellation Sagittarius. It will be visible for much of the night, angled to show its northern hemisphere at this opposition. The rings will inclined at an angle of 24° to our line of sight, which is almost the maximum inclination they can have. This means they will be very well presented.
August 12
Views: Perseid meteor shower
This annual meteor shower arises when the Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. As pebble-sized pieces of debris collide with the Earth, they burn up at an altitude of around 70 to 100 km, appearing as shooting stars. This meteor shower is named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to emanate, Perseus.