You’re invited to get up close with some of the more familiar creatures found in our ocean.
Our touch tank pool allows you to gently touch marine animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, whelks, horseshoe crabs, and hermit crabs. These animals live in a variety of habitats and have developed many ways to survive the waves and predators. Volunteers are on hand to assist and teach you about these incredible animals.
Did you know, when a sea urchin “hugs” your finger if you gently touch its spines, it’s actually checking you out: Are you food or predator? If you’re neither, the animal will just gradually release you.
Witness the seven ancient wonders of the world examine the theories of how these wonders were created. Explore the universe’s greatest wonders. This film is narrated by British actor Sean Bean, who played Boromir in the feature film trilogy Lord of the Rings. The film is followed by a live star show.
Follow Mike Brown and his team at CalTech as they uncover dwarf worlds like the remarkably bright Eris; Haumea, an egg-shaped object rotating incredibly fast; and Sedna, whose orbit takes it deep into the far reaches of the Solar System. Is there a new planet beyond these distant objects? Tag along on Mike Brown’s first night searching for the ninth planet at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. This film is followed by a live star show.
This film takes a detailed look at how Neal Armstrong made history as the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Look back on that historic day and the events leading up to it. The film is followed by a live star show.
This is a live star show. The presenter will display the night sky on the planetarium’s dome ceiling and take you on a tour, pointing out the stars, planets, and constellations that are visible in our area. Later, as you are walking along the beach on a clear night, you will be able to recognize by name the celestial sights you see.
After more than a quarter of a century of hard work by hundreds of scientists, engineers, and support staff, the highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope is planned to be launched at the end of this year. Ingram Planetarium is celebrating this massive undertaking by offering a free event called Celebrating James Webb at 4 PM on October 22 and 23.
The event begins with a limited showing of From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA, an immersive film that takes viewers deep into the world of NASA’s groundbreaking engineering technology. The film is followed by a virtual pre-recorded interview with Dr. Hashima Hasan. Dr. Hasan is the NASA Program Scientist for NuSTAR, the Keck Observatory and ADCAR, and is Deputy Program Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. In her role as Program Scientist, she makes sure that each project’s mission remains possible and true to NASA’s strategic objectives. Dr. Hasan has also been the Program Scientist for many other NASA missions. You can learn more about her work here: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/organization-and-staff/staff-bios/dr-hashima-hasan
Ingram Planetarium Manager Katherine Hunt encourages the public to submit their questions about the James Webb Space Telescope to her prior to the event. She will provide as many answers as possible during the event. Send your questions to katherine@museumplanetarium.org by October 15.
Ingram Planetarium is located at 7625 High Market Street in Sunset Beach, NC. For more information, call Ingram Planetarium at 910-575-0033. At this time, visitors over age 5 are required to wear a face mask or face covering regardless of vaccination status.
Who is James Webb?
James E. Webb ran NASA — a fledgling space agency at the time — from February 1961 to October 1968. Many believe that he did more for science than perhaps any other government official. He believed that NASA had to strike a balance between human space flight and science because such a combination would serve as a catalyst for strengthening the nation’s universities and aerospace industry. Webb’s vision of a balanced program resulted in a decade of space science research that remains unparalleled today.
Ahoy, mateys! Lads and lasses are invited to the Museum of Coastal Carolina on October 23 for Pirate Day. Pirate-themed activities will be set up in each of the museum’s galleries. Choose your pirate name, make a pirate flag, and more! Come dressed as a pirate for even more fun. There will be a self-guided tour with a fun map of activities provided upon entry.
Jamie Justice has created a family-friendly pirate experience that children will enjoy. Jamie is the Education Coordinator for the Museum of Coastal Carolina and Ingram Planetarium. She received her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Bowling Green State University and her Master of Science in Environmental Science with concentrations in Marine and Coastal Education and Coastal Management from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jamie is originally from Portsmouth, Ohio and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina for graduate school in 2017. Before coming to the Museum, she worked in a variety of educational positions at summer camps and schools.
Witness the seven ancient wonders of the world examine the theories of how these wonders were created. Explore the universe’s greatest wonders. This film is narrated by British actor Sean Bean, who played Boromir in the feature film trilogy Lord of the Rings. The film is followed by a live star show.