NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Join the Cape Fear Museum, Carolina Beach State Park and the Cape Fear Astronomical Society for an evening of stargazing and astronomy-themed activities.
The North Carolina Science Festival’s sixth annual Statewide Star Party will be held on Friday, April 20, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Carolina Beach State Park.
This year’s theme is “Anyone Out There?” and it explores the concept of life elsewhere in the universe, how it would be located and what it might look like.
This year’s attendees can participate in a number of activities to include:
- Go on a laser-guided, night-sky tour of the stars and planets.
- Get up close views of the Moon, stars, planets and more using a variety of telescopes.
- Enjoy a planetarium show for a fun orientation to the night skies.
- Cuddle up with loved ones and listen to star-themed stories at the Stellar Story Corner.
- Examine the Pioneer Plaque, decipher its message and craft your own symbolic message for the cosmos.
- Join NASA’s fictional Exoplanet Travel Bureau and promote futuristic interstellar travel.
- Become an astrobiologist and investigate icy orbs to reveal their secret interiors.
- Meet Earth’s extremophiles, find out what they might tell us about life outside of earth, and design an extraterrestrial life form.
- Discover how scientists find planets around distant stars and where these worlds are located.
- Enter raffles to win prizes and passes to local attractions.
The Star Party will happen rain or shine, but telescope viewings and laser-guided constellation tours will be canceled if skies are cloudy or overcast.
Event parking is at the marina, located at the back of the park. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided by the Wilmington Trolley Company.
For more information on this event, visit www.capefearmuseum.com/programs/starparty/ or contact Jameson McDermott, Museum Educator at 910-798-4363
