The Insights Museum’s 50th Anniversary Apollo Moon Landing Celebration was a stellar event commemorating one of the single most astronomical achievements in human history. The evening launched with a screening of the Apollo 11 film in the UTEP Union Cinema hosted by the UTEP College of Engineering, in partnership with community contributors.
Following the showing was an opportunity to meet and take a photo with former NASA astronaut Dr. John “Danny” Olivas, who was raised in El Paso. Dr. Olivas graciously provided each family that he greeted with a signed copy of his book “Endeavour’s Long Journey,” a children’s book “Celebrating 19 Years of Space Exploration.”
The out of this world festivities resumed in the Centennial Museum with “build-your-own pop rockets,” blindfold games thematic of the curious treks of the Mars Rover, and even educational activities for children demonstrating the scale of Moon craters relative to the force that forges them.
The knowledgeable members of the Sun City Astronomers then guided space enthusiasts of all ages through a star-studded gaze at the vista that had blanketed overhead as the night drew to an end. Both Jupiter and Saturn were observable through telescopes set up by the astronomers.
If you happened to miss this celebration, The Insights Museum will be hosting the upcoming El Paso Space Festival October 5, 2019 and El Paso Space Week September 28th through October 6th. Further details regarding these events to be announced.
