To the Moon! Reflections on Apollo after 50 Years

With the 50th anniversary of the first human steps on the moon just ahead, UNC Asheville and the Astronomy Club of Asheville will present a special commemoration, and weather permitting, a lunar viewing the evening of July 9. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Reuter Center on campus with a talk by Dominic Lesnar, president of the Astronomy Club of Asheville, titled To the Moon! Reflections on Apollo after 50 Years. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to this program co-sponsored by UNC Asheville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, and OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville.

It was on July 20, 1969 that American astronauts, Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, landed the Apollo Lunar Module on the surface of the moon. And at roughly 11 p.m. EDT that night, Armstrong took the first human steps on the lunar surface, followed minutes later by Aldrin.

It was a truly unforgettable moment for people all over the world who watched on live television, and after Lesnar’s talk, those in attendance will have the opportunity to briefly share their own memories and reflections. Then, skies permitting, telescopes will be set up outside of the Reuter Center for lunar viewing.