Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Rosman, NC

November 16th, 2024

One of my charges here on the Carolina Outdoors is introducing you, the listener, to gems along the way.  Especially those gems that are right here under our noses.

Timothy DeLisle, Director of Software Engineering of the Pisgah Astronomy Research Institute (PARI) joined host Bill Bartee to talk about this “one-of-a-kind” place located in Rosman, NC, whose mission is to make science education & exploration easily accessible.

Segment Highlights:

  • A 200-acre campus that first began in the early 1960s with NASA.  It then went under the Department of Defense before being obtained by Don Cline as a research, science, & education place for all.
  • Archive over time of astronomer’s studies are included for researcher’s to understand physicists and scientist’s questions.
  • There are all types of telescopes on the property & utilized by people from all over the world
  • The history of the property includes communication site for space missions, satellites, and keeping up with Cold War adversaries in the 60s and 70s.  PARI now includes special events during astronomical  special occurrences & events.
  • PARI is unique in that not only young school age groups but also serious research happens with educators, scientists, & researchers
  • Check the Website to make sure that a program is available before you visit.  Self-guided Tours are available too.

Things You’ll Learn by Listening:

The Leonid meteor shower & high solar activity is happening right now.  It may be worth finding a dark place and looking up in the night sky.
You can learn more about it and things happening in our night sky with PARI.  Don Cline founded & operates PARI to boost access to science education in North Carolina.

The Carolina Outdoors is powered by the Charlotte hiking store, Jesse Brown’s.  Lace up your comfortable shoes, grab a water bottle, and get outdoors.