Evening at PARI Join us on September 22nd, 2023 and experience the wonders of the night sky. 🪐 As the Earth makes its journey around the Sun, our views of the sky change. Each season brings its own set of wonders to discover. From planets and moons to galaxies and nebulae, something unique and breathtaking is always ready to rise above the horizon. Enjoy our dark skies and mountain peaks for breathtaking views of the night sky. Our astronomers will guide your experience and point out the best of what each season has on display through big telescopes. There are three ways to attend this event: 1. Cabin Package – Overnight stay with Dinner and Breakfast included 2. Camping Package – Overnight stay with Dinner and Breakfast included 3. Evening Only Ticket – Viewing only PARI IS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!! You must register to attend this... Read More
“Origins Untold: Ancient Cosmology” Premiere night: A night to get dressed up, look fabulous, and have fun on the red carpet with the stars of our film. Get your photo taken and admire some sights around Downtown Brevard. We will have some live music to set the mood and listen to an Ancient Cosmology Presentation from Josh Keefe before the premiere. Then sit back and enjoy some snacks while watching an epic film. Schedule: 5:30pm Red Carpet 6:00pm Live Music 6:15pm Ancient Cosmology 101 Presented by “Josh Keefe” of “Founded Earth Brothers” 6:30pm “Origins Untold” Movie Premiere, followed by a Q&A with Cast and... Read More
This year’s Space Day open house at PARI is free and open to the public. Come join us Saturday, May 6th from 10am to 4pm for a day of fun and STEM learning. Here are some things you can do: 📖Attend the signing of the newly released book all about PARI and talk to the author – “Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute: An Untold History of Spacemen & Spies” by Craig Gralley, at 11am and 2pm 🚀Hop on board our shuttle for outdoor site tours (*not a real space shuttle, just a ground one🚐) 💎Take in our museum galleries with NASA and space artifacts, minerals and gems, meteorites, and more, open with scientists to answer your questions☄️ 🔭Peek through a solar telescope to safely observe the Sun and look for sunspots☀️ 🪐Journey through our solar system on the Galaxy Walk, our scale model of our home in the universe 🖍️Visit the activity tables with fun stuff for kids 🎶Hear music played by DJ RaZor with 4 Dreamz Entertainment 🌌Immerse yourself in outer space with a planetarium show (requires a separate $5 ticket) 😋Enjoy a meal from local food vendor “Local Harvester” (food must be purchased)🥪 😃Visit booths and displays from some of PARI’s friends and partners. There will be books and robots and telescopes and more! ⛰️Hike to our observation deck for beautiful views 🎉Play games... Read More
PRESENTED BY PARI AND CLEMSON UNIVERSITY CRYPTOGRAPHY & SECRET MESSAGES SET IN A FORMER SPY BASE Campers will explore the origins of codes and ciphers and how they have evolved from written messages to complex digital encryption methods in use today. They will learn how to recreate these techniques themselves and crack the messages sent by their fellow cryptographers, all while reinforcing skills in math, language, and pattern recognition. What better setting than PARI, which once operated as a spy station for the Department of Defense during the Cold War, where messages were being intercepted and deciphered? Another element in the sending of secrets is how you transport them from place to place. We’ll take a look at the technologies, both past and present, that allow information to zip out to distant satellites and back down to Earth. How do we make sure our sensitive transmissions don’t end up in the wrong hands? From messages based on playing with words and numbers, to hiding information in plain sight in images and everyday objects, you’d never suspect all the ways cryptography is used all around us. Campers will leave with an understanding of the principles that drive the world and keep our data... Read More
PRESENTED BY PARI AND CLEMSON UNIVERSITY MISSION: GALACTIC CARTOGRAPHY – MAP THE MILKY WAY AND PLOT A PATH Milky Way Trailblazers is a two week research experience for high school aged campers. Campers will learn to use a radio telescope to find the composition of a region of the Milky Way and measure the speed it is rotating and moving. They will combine the observations and conclusions made by their team with other teams to form a larger understanding of the galaxy we call home. Using a radio telescope to measure regions of space doesn’t create pictures like we see with an optical telescope. The methods to turn the data collected into a map that can guide our way require creativity and hard work. Will the results look the same, or different, than what we see through an optical telescope? Radio isn’t just used for observing space either. Communicating with satellites is a big role that large dishes like the ones at PARI play in human space exploration. Campers will investigate and report on the methods, both historical and contemporary, that are used to accomplish this, and the people who figured out how to do... Read More
Above and Beyond is PARI’s signature camping experience designed to immerse high school students in the world of space science and research while building confidence and critical thinking skills. Originally developed in partnership with Duke University and refined for nearly two decades, this space camp explores the universe through astronomy, physics, and astrobiology, while also providing time for adventure and fun. The process followed by scientists and researchers who’ve made space science their career is modeled to show how new discoveries are made about the universe. Campers are provided the tools and guided through the process by professionals who have made space their life’s work. From determining the expansion speed of a super-nova remnant, to characterizing an exo-planet or finding evidence of dark matter; your data will reveal and your conclusions will add to humanity’s knowledge of the... Read More
Our Mission Control camps provide simulated missions that cover the many topics and skills necessary for a successful exploration of world beyond our own. We’ll use the same kinds of processes that NASA, SpaceX and others use in developing and conducting journeys into space. These missions teach teamwork and STEM principles while giving campers fun and exciting experiences. The camp is an immersive journey amidst our historic campus which played a critical role in the first space race and will help poise your camper for a role in the next. Teams will research real technologies and techniques to build and launch a spacecraft, set science and research goals, and ensure everything needed is sent along. They will also need to choose a crew and care for their health and well-being, perform outreach and gain public support, and navigate funding and political... Read More
Have you ever wished upon a shooting star? Now is your chance! Enjoy an evening under the stars and observing the Geminids meteor shower at our historic, mountaintop, internationally certified Dark Sky Park! The Geminids meteors are often bold, white and bright. On a dark night, you can often catch 50 or more meteors per hour in a dark, moonless sky. These meteors are sure to dazzle brighter than the holiday lights. Grab your coats, hot coffee or hot chocolate, friends and family then come to PARI for an unforgettable winter night. The greatest number of meteors typically fall in the wee hours after midnight. Astronomers and telescopes will also be available earlier in the evening to view the dark skies. For additional information please email PARI at... Read More
Ever wonder why there are no green stars? Are there colors we can’t see? Or if a black hole is really a hole in space? Did we really land on the moon? Come to PARI on March 11, 2022 to get the answers to all of these questions an many more then hop outside for a quick look through our telescopes at the objects that prove the universe is bigger that just ourselves! PARI is offering two overnight options. Choose either the OVERNIGHT CABIN PACKAGE for two (2) or CAMPING PACKAGE both packages include lodging, Spaces Greatest Myth tickets, an evening under the stars and observing at our historic, mountaintop, Internationally certified Dark Sky Park and dinner on Friday evening and breakfast on Saturday morning. Preregistration is Required... Read More
Grab a friend and a bottle of wine and join PARI for a night of creative expression backed by science!! This Astronomical Artistry Paint Party event will feature the planet Saturn. Its majestic rings, its striking storms, and its myriad of moons will all be sources of inspiration for your masterpiece. Come on your own or round up a group of friends and bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while you paint. A lite snack will be provided. PARI astronomers will talk about both the planet Saturn, and astronomy’s long tradition of using art to bring distant objects within reach. You will be provided everything you need to bring your own vision of Saturn to life on canvas. We will show you some techniques that will help. PARI is offering three (3) ticket option for this event: Paint Party Ticket – Includes materials and a lite snack – Bring your own wine Cabin Package for 2 – Includes Paint Party tickets for 2, an overnight stay in a cabin quarter with a bottle of wine Group Cabin Package (up to 4 ppl) – Includes Paint Party tickets for 4, an overnight stay in a cabin quarter with 2 bottles of... Read More
Grab your sweetheart and join PARI for a romantic Valentines evening getaway and leave with stars in your eyes. PARI astronomers will share our dark skies and point out objects such as the Heart Cluster and love story constellations like Princess Andromeda and the Warrior Perseus. This package includes an overnight cabin stay, evening viewing with PARI astronomers at our historic, mountaintop, Internationally Certified Dark Sky Park, a pre-packaged dinner on Friday and breakfast on Saturday, a bottle of wine and a Valentine rose in your room. Preregistration is Required... Read More
Join PARI on Friday, January 7, 2022 as we celebrate the largest planet in our solar system! 412 years ago this week Galileo Galilei spotted the four brightest moons of Jupiter and in honor of that monumental discovery we are sharing our best telescopes and Internationally certified dark sky park to observe this planet, the moon and other fantastic objects you can only see with a telescope! Grab your coats, hot coffee or hot chocolate, friends and family then come to PARI for an unforgettable winter... Read More
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