Planetarium marks Apollo 11 landing with special event

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was July 20, 1969, when astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. To mark that historic day, the Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium at the University of Louisville will host a free event July 20.

“One Giant Leap For Mankind” will feature memorabilia and models marking milestones in space exploration.

An Apollo command module model, full-page original newspapers from the 1960’s and an interactive space exploration timeline are among the items that will be showcased.

UofL’s Tom Tretter, director of the planetarium and a professor of science education, will give a talk, “One Small Step,” that examines manned space explorations past, present and future, including an in-depth discussion of the difficult physical conditions and limitations of space travel.

“One Giant Leap for Mankind” will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the planetarium.

Free parking is available on a first-come-first-served basis at the North Information Visitor Center lot and the lot by the School of Music. Parking is also available for a nominal fee in the Speed Art Museum parking garage.

For more information contact Paula McGuffey at 502-852-5855.