The public is invited to a special presentation about the study of the Earth’s crust at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) Friday, August 10. The evening’s activities will include a tour of the PARI campus and celestial observations using PARI’s optical or radio telescopes.

The event is part of PARI’s monthly Evening at PARI series and will include a presentation by Dr. Robert D. Hatcher, Jr., Distinguished Scientist and Professor at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Science Alliance Center of Excellence, University of Tennessee- Knoxville. Dr. Hatcher has spent a long and distinguished career researching the evolution of continental crust, primarily through the study of mountain chains and mature crust. His presentation will focus on how aeromagnetic and gravity data are being used to study the crustal structure of the Southeastern U.S.

The Evening at PARI program will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the presentation, followed by the observing session and optional campus tour. Each participant will also have the opportunity to have a photo taken with a PARI telescope and will receive a subscription to the PARI newsletter and a 10% discount on PARI merchandise.

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, $15 for seniors/military and $10 for children under 14. Register and pay online at http://www.pari.edu or call (828) 862-5554. For additional information contact PARI Science Educator Christi Whitworth at cwhitworth@pari.edu.

Program details and directions to the site can be found at the PARI web site, http://www.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 Forest 30 miles southwest of Asheville, NC, the PARI campus is a dark sky location for astronomy and 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.

The Astronomical Photographic Data Archive housed on the PARI campus is the North American repository for historic astronomical images. A member of the NC Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative, PARI’s Exhibit Gallery displays a collection of rare meteorites and has been designated by NASA to receive Space Shuttle artifacts, many of which have flown in space. PARI is a partner in NC OPT-ED and is affiliated with the 16-campus University of North Carolina system through PARSEC, a UNC Center hosted at PARI.

For more information about PARI and its programs, visit http://www.pari.edu. Follow PARI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Astronomy_PARI. “Like” PARI on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Pisgah.Astronomical.Research.Institute.