Darren Williams, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, will discuss the Apollo 11 Mission and its historical significance on Thursday, April 4, when Open House Night in Astronomy returns to Penn State Behrend. Following Williams’ talk, Jim Gavio, director of the college’s Yahn Planetarium, will outline future plans for lunar exploration.
ERIE, Pa. — In 1969, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 Mission.
“This was a remarkable human achievement given that the Wright Brothers were gliding over the sands of Kitty Hawk less than three score and seven years earlier,” said Darren Williams, professor of astronomy and astrophysics.
Williams will discuss the mission and its historical significance, on Thursday, April 4, when Open House Night in Astronomy returns to Penn State Behrend. Following Williams’ talk, Jim Gavio, director of the college’s Yahn Planetarium, will outline future plans for lunar exploration.
Their presentation, “A Half-Century of Footprints on the Moon: Remembering Apollo 11,” will begin at 7 p.m. in room 101 of the Otto Behrend Science Building. It is free and open to the public.
During the talk, Williams and Gavio will also detail the timeline for astronauts to eventually return to the Moon.
Their lecture will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. A live presentation on the current night sky will be held in the Yahn Planetarium at 6 p.m., prior to the talk.
Open House Nights in Astronomy are an outreach program of the School of Science at Penn State Behrend. These scientific presentations are intended for ages 8 and up; for additional information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.
Steve Orbanek
Marketing Communications Coordinator, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
