The program is part of PARI’s monthly Evening at PARI series and will feature a presentation by PARI Science Educator Beth Harris.  “Observations of the night sky, particularly rare events such as eclipses, comets and conjunctions of planets have spawned many superstitions,” said Harris.  “We will review many of these superstitions and use interactive demonstrations to explore the real science behind these events.  We will be making a realistic model of a comet using dry ice and model phases of the moon while learning about the sometimes silly, sometimes deadly misconceptions people of many cultures have believed over the centuries.”

The Evening at PARI program will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a site tour, followed by the presentation and observing session.  Each participant will also have the opportunity to have a photo taken with a PARI telescope and will receive a subscription to the PARI newsletter and a 10% discount on PARI merchandise.

Reservations are required and will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. the day of the event.  Evening at PARI programs cost $20 per adult, $15 for seniors/military and $10 for children under 14.  For additional information or to schedule a reservation contact PARI Science Educator Beth Harris at (828) 877-6348 or send an email to bharris@pari.edu.  Reservations can also be made online at www.pari.edu. 

Program details and directions to the site can be found at the PARI web site, www.pari.edu. 

About PARI

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a not-for-profit public foundation established in 1998.  Located in the Pisgah Forest 30 miles southwest of Asheville, NC, the PARI campus is a dark sky location for astronomy and was selected in 1962 by NASA as the site for one of the first U.S. satellite tracking facilities.  Today, the 200 acre campus houses radio and optical telescopes, earth science instruments, 30 buildings, a fulltime staff and all the infrastructure necessary to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and research.  PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate.  The institute is affiliated with the 16-campus University of North Carolina system through PARSEC, a UNC Center hosted at PARI, and is a member of the NC Grassroots Museum Collaborative.  For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu.