Robeson Planetarium and Science Center

03/24/2026

Robeson Planetarium: The planetarium is participating in the 13th annual statewide star party, being held this year at the Exploration Station Children’s museum, from 7-9 pm on April 24th. Make-and-take hands-on activities will be conducted, and Ken Brandt will provide an update on the Artemis II mission to cislunar space, featuring NC State graduate and Astronaut Christina Koch-the first woman to go to the moon. This activity is family-friendly and free of charge. Partner organizations include the Robeson County Partnership for Children, Robeson County 4H, Early College HS robotics team, and Robeson Community College.

12/12/2025

Time lapse photograph showing the Geminids over a one hour period. Image courtesy NASA.
Geminid Meteors to Provide Excellent Sky Show-Again!
The Geminid meteor shower is an annual meteor shower that is extremely regular in its timing and can potentially be visible for days in the late-autumn sky, depending on weather and location. The Geminid meteor shower is named after the constellation Gemini, which is located in roughly the same point of the night sky where the Geminid meteor shower appears to originate from. In late autumn or early winter, that means viewing the spectacular light show with eyes pointed straight up in the night sky.
Geminids are pieces of debris from 3200 Phaethon, basically a rocky skeleton of a comet that lost most of its outer covering of ice after too many close encounters with the sun. Each December, Earth passes through the debris cloud left by the comet as sand-sized specks enter the earth's atmosphere producing a spectacular show of "falling stars."
When and where to look for Geminids 2025
The peak nights of the 2025 Geminid meteor shower are expected to be on December 13-14 (night of December 13 till dawn December 14). Geminid meteors tend to be few and far between at early evening, but intensify in number as evening deepens into late night.
Look straight up later in the wee morning hours) to watch for the brightest meteors speeding by at 140 meteors an hour in the final major meteor shower of the year.
In North America, Canada and US East Coast residents will have the best viewing that night into the early hours on the 14th, but as Geminids are a "long tail" event, expect additional views growing less spectacular several days or nights before and after the peak. While the Geminids have been comparatively a non-event in the last century, they have grown more spectacular in the recent past and this year is predicted to be no exception.
As long as you’re out before 3 am, the waning crescent moon shouldn’t present too much of a problem seeing the meteors.
Tips for watching:
Dress warmly, in layers, and include a hat and gloves, if possible.
Bring a hot non-alcoholic beverage with you (consuming alcohol interferes with your body's heating mechanism, I’ve been told).
Plan on observing for at least 30 minutes. The pupils of your eyes dilate to let more light in slowly. This is the primary reason I don’t do the night sky tour with planetarium attendees until they’ve been in the darkened space for at least 15 minutes. You’ll catch some of the dimmer ones.
The weather can be ugly this time of year, however, predictions indicate clear skies and temperatures in the low 40’s.
Go out there with other people! Meteor watching should be a team sport. It’s also an awesome event to do as a family.

12/08/2025

The Robeson Planetarium is offering two public programs featuring Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance, a production all about the search for habitable locations for finding possible life on Mars. This program is offered free of charge on Saturday, January 10th, at Noon, 1:30 pm. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 671-6000, x3382. Leave a message with your name, the number of your party, and what program time you’re interested in. For more information, email Ken Brandt, at [email protected].
We are located at 100 Hargrave Street, Lumberton.

11/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BUrq9pxaV/
Get out there and see the Aurora!

‼️IN CASE YOU MISSED TONIGHT: Tomorrow night’s Northern Lights could be even more intense than tonight’s…

The strongest part of this geomagnetic storm may still be on the way — and a G5-level event can’t be ruled out.

11/09/2025

The Robeson Planetarium is offering two holiday programs featuring Season of Light, a production all about this time of year and why celebrations happen all over the world. I’ll also go over the upcoming Geminid meteor shower, and why it is the best meteor shower of the year! This program is offered free of charge on Saturday, December 6th, at Noon and 2pm. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 671-6000, x3382. Leave a message with your name, the number in your party, and what program time you’re interested in. For more information, email Ken Brandt, [email protected] .

10/21/2025

Address: 100 Hargrave St. Lumberton, NC 28358

Phone: (910)671-6000, x3382

Contact email: [email protected]

Our next public program: Saturday, November 8th

Noon and 1:30 pm

Subject: Evidence for Life on Mars?

10/21/2025

Our next public program: Saturday, November 8th

Noon and 1:30 pm

Subject: Life on Mars? Evaluating the Evidence

08/31/2025

In support of World Space Week, Int'l. Observe the Moon night, and the 100 Hours of Astronomy project; we are hosting an event on Saturday, Oct. 4th, time and location TBD. Please stay tuned.

08/20/2025

we are a regional node for updates and information about the 100 Hours of Astronomy project. On October 4, 2025, we'll be doing a simulcast with other planetariums around the world, celebrating the centennial of the planetarium as a public place. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

100 Hours of Astronomy is a yearly global celebration organised by the Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) that invites people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and connect with the night sky — and with the science that helps us understand it.

05/17/2025

Progress continues on the rebuild of the CTEC HS/Robeson Planetarium/Science Center. Image taken 3/28/25 and approved for you to see. The planetarium is the cylinder on the right of this image.

05/17/2025

Our schedule of Summer programs, during July. If you want to book another time (June or August), simply email [email protected] and we'll do our best to accommodate. Please share with those who run summer programs, like VBS, camps, etc. Admission is free.

July 8-10, T-Th only, 10,12,2 Spark: the Universe Within Us
July 15-17, T-Th only, 10,12,2 Spark: the Universe Within Us
July 22-24, T-Th only, 10,12,2 Spark: the Universe Within Us
July 29-30, T-W only, 10,12,2 Spark: the Universe Within Us
(Other topics available on request, to include Mars exploration, a tour of the planets, Apollo's exploration of the Moon, and Earth is a special place)
All programs are located at the old cafeteria on the Hargrave Complex Campus, 100 Hargrave St., Lumberton, NC, 28358.
Please call Joy Ivey at (910)-671-6000, x3381 to make reservations, or email [email protected] Reservations are required.

02/24/2025

Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson
Director Ken Brandt

The Robeson Planetarium is opening its doors to the public on Saturday, March 14th. The program is all about The Heroes of Modern Science

Program times are at 11 am and 1 pm.
We are located at 100 Hargrave St. in Lumberton for the time being..
Please call Joy Ivey, at 671-6000, x3381 to make reservations which are required.