Destination: Science Live! at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Morehead also offers a variety of science shows and programs, including the regular Science Live! sessions which take place on its Science Stage. And that's our focus today.

These free shows run about 45 minutes or so and are great for grade schoolers and up. Educators take on topics such as physics, biology, chemistry and geology and explain them in a fun and engaging way.

"We try to make a lasting impression," said Quin Walker, an educator at Morehead since 2010 and senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. "We try to make science a life-long part of everyone's life." 

I went with my eight-year-old, preschooler and mom and was prepared to have grandma take my preschooler out once she tired of it. But all four of us were fascinated by the show.

Walker went through a rapid series of experiments, talking about Newton's Laws among other topics. Balloons popped, a can crushed, we were amazed by the effects of a strobe light on a fan. Walker pulled up kids to participate in some of the experiments, a highlight for my eight-year-old.

The Science Live! schedule changes throughout the year depending on Morehead's operating hours. Right now, the shows are 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Saturdays, and 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Sundays. That schedule will continue through Oct. 27. During the summer and some holiday breaks, the center is open on weekdays to the public.

The schedule includes Magnificent Matter, which explores the science of matter and chemistry. Learn more about physics in Phenomenal Physics. All Systems Go is about the human body.

For more, including some scenes of a Science Live! program, watch my video interview with Walker.