Welcome!

Kepler's Discovery is intended as the first in a series of science tutorials – under the umbrella “Door to Science” – aimed at introducing middle, secondary, and college students to famous scientific discoveries.

The original text, animations, and art work for Kepler’s Discovery were created between 2005 and 2007 by Evan Armstrong North (1982-2011), B.A., cum laude, Harvard University, 2005, M.A., Georgetown University, 2009, Ph.D. candidate, History, Georgetown University, 2011.

Evan, a landscape photographer and enthusiastic hiker, skier, cyclist, rower, and swimmer, studied history, economics, science, philosophy, languages, and art. He planned to create a number of tutorials about the history of science and technology in addition to Kepler’s Discovery, but died of an unknown heart ailment at age 28. He wrote: “By fostering a basic understanding of the processes by which crucial discoveries have been made, Kepler’s Discovery hopes to inspire students with a newfound sense of confidence in their own potential as discoverers.”

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) received the copyright to Kepler’s Discovery and its related materials as a gift from Evan’s estate in 2020.

Timothy DeLisle, PARI's Director of Software Engineering, re-created the original Adobe Flash animations to maintain compatibility with current web-browser standards. They now run in an HTML5 Canvas and are accessible by a wide range of devices. For browsers and devices unable to use HTML5 Canvas, most animations will fall back to animated GIF images.

PARI is proud to maintain Kepler's Discovery and ensure it can be accessed by learners and explorers to come.

PARI is a not for profit public organization. It holds camps focused on space and astronomy, grants access to research instruments and experiences to teachers and students, and provides services to space industries. Learn more by visiting www.pari.edu.