WHAT: Presentation on detection and study of lightning
WHERE: Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, 1 PARI Drive, Rosman, N.C.
HOW MUCH: $20 adults/$15 military & seniors/children 10 & under free
WHEN: Friday, July 10, at 7 p.m.
From PARI:
(June 22, 2015) – The public is invited to a special presentation of how scientists detect and study lightning Friday, July 10 at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI). The evening will also include a campus tour, visits to the Space Artifacts and Meteorites and Minerals Galleries, and observations of the night sky with PARI telescopes.
“People have marveled at the beauty and awesome forces of lightning since the earliest times,” said PARI Education Director Christi Whitworth, “but few people realize how frequently this natural phenomenon occurs. Globally, lighting strikes about 40 to 50 times per second, or nearly 1.4 billion flashes per year. At PARI, we are partnering with Georgia Tech University and utilizing a LF/RF remote sensing instrument to study lightning. Jackson McCormick, from the Georgia Tech Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering will be with us to discuss this instrument, how it is used and what scientists hope to learn about lighting that may some day help us better predict when and where it will strike. This presentation is part of our monthly Evening at PARI program and will include activities suitable for all ages.”
The Evening at PARI program will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a campus tour, including a trip to the newly opened gems and minerals section of the Exhibit Gallery. The presentation and observing session will follow. The program will take place regardless of the weather so attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for being outside and to wear comfortable walking shoes.
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 and $15 for seniors/military. Children 10 and under are admitted free. Register and pay online at www.pari.edu or call (828) 862-5554. For additional information contact PARI Education Director Christi Whitworth at cwhitworth@pari.edu.
About PARI
The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a public not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) foundation established in 1998. Located in the Pisgah National Forest 30 miles southwest of Asheville, NC, the PARI campus 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 research.
PARI is home to the Astronomical Photographic Data Archive and a member of the NC Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative. PARI’s Exhibit Gallery displays a collection of rare meteorites as well as NASA Space Shuttle artifacts, many of which have flown in space. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu. Follow PARI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Astronomy_PARI. “Like” PARI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Pisgah.Astronomical.Research.Institute.
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