LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19
(Xinhua) -- The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will host a moon
observing event on Saturday for the International Observe the Moon Night, an
annual worldwide celebration that encourages observation and appreciation of the
moon.
UCLA has invited the
public to come to its Mathematical Sciences Building from 7 to 9 p.m. to view
the moon in minute detail through a high-powered, world-class telescope, said a
release of the university on Friday.
The celebration also
includes inspection of the sprinkling of moon dust and meteorites. Lunar experts
from UCLA's Earth, planetary and space sciences department and the physics and
astronomy department will be present to answer questions from the
public.
UCLA astrophysicist
David Jewitt said the event is great fun for people of all ages. "Earth's
nearest neighbor is 240,000 miles away. The moon's surface contains many
craters, and the larger craters date back billions of years," he
said.
International Observe
the Moon Night, debuted in 2010, is an annual public outreach event sponsored by
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission and other research institutes to
encourage observation, appreciation and understanding of the moon and its
connection to planetary science and exploration.
The event is normally
scheduled for a Saturday in September or October as close to a first-quarter
moon as possible.
NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center will also host an annual celebration at the U.S. Space &
Rocket Center's Davidson Center in Huntsville, Alabama, which will include lunar
and solar system exploration exhibits and a variety of hands-on activities for
children and adults.