Griffith Observatory Celebrates Apollo 11
Griffith Observatory celebrates Apollo 11 with ten days of special programs, exhibits, family activities, and photo opportunities.
Upcoming NASA Events at Griffith Observatory
Golden Moon Festival Kickoff, July 13, 2019
Golden Moon Star Party Kickoff
2:00 p.m.
Join us as we launch our week-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon! The July star party at Griffith Observatory has a special focus on the Moon which rises at 5:35 p.m. Telescopes will be on the lawn during the entire duration of the kickoff event courtesy of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society.
Festival kickoff and start of Star Party is at 2:00 p.m. on the front lawn.
Star Party is FREE!
Apollo 11 Movie Screening
4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Friends Of The Observatory presents the full-length version of Apollo 11 by CNN Films. This Sundance award-winning film documents the splendor and emotion of the Apollo 11 mission using newly discovered 70-mm film never seen previously. This is a Friends Of The Observatory fundraiser.
Film screenings at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
$15 for FOTO members; $20 for non-members
All Space Considered Remembers Apollo 11
July 16, 2019
Video: Celebrate the Launch of Apollo 11
The 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 is celebrated with the kickoff of the Stations Of Apollo activity on the front lawn. Shortly after, the team from Griffith Observatory’s popular All Space Considered program looks back on the historic mission. Join Observatory Curator Dr. Laura Danly, Astronomical Lecturer Dr. David Reitzel, Planetarium and Theater Manager Patrick So, and Astronomical Observer Anthony Cook for a trip back 50 years.
Stations of Apollo starts at 11:45 a.m. FREE
All Space Considered Remembers Apollo 11 is at 1:00 p.m. in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon FREE
From California to the Moon
July 17, 2019
Video: Celebrate the Southern California Aerospace Industry
This panel discussion highlights the extraordinary contributions to the engineering and manufacture of Apollo 11 hardware by the aerospace industry in southern California. Through a partnership with Northrop Grumman, the program welcomes special guests Jerry Elverum and Don Harvey, two former TRW engineers who designed the Lunar Descent Engine that made it possible to land astronauts on the Moon. Additional insights are offered by Griffith Observatory astronomical artist Chris Butler and author and journalist, Rod Pyle.
Stations of Apollo starts at 11:45 a.m. FREE
From California to the Moon is at 7:30 p.m. in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon FREE
The Once and Future Moon
July 18, 2019
Griffith Observatory’s Anthony Cook and a guest panel explore the dream of going to the Moon, its fulfillment, its abandonment, and the recommitment to return to the Moon, this time to stay. Why did we stop going? Was it worth the effort? Is there a place for the Moon in our future? The panel, which includes authors Rod Pyle, radio journalist David Livingston, and spacecraft engineer Warren James, describes our next steps to the Moon both by the United States and abroad.
Stations of Apollo starts at 11:45 a.m. FREE
The Once and Future Moon is at 7:30 p.m. in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon FREE
Apollo 11 Screening and Rooftop Moon Party
July 19, 2019
Celebrate with Friends
Griffith Observatory’s membership and support partner, Friends Of The Observatory, hosts a special screening of CNN Films’ Apollo 11 movie followed by an after-hours party on the roof of the Observatory. Moonrise, at 10:09 pm, sets the stage for the event where members can mingle, socialize, enjoy refreshments, and look at the Moon through the Observatory’s historic Zeiss telescope.
Stations of Apollo starts at 11:45 a.m. FREE
Film screening and after-party starts at 8:00 p.m.
$50 for FOTO members; $75 for non-members
To Walk on the Moon: Past, Present, and Future, July 20, 2019
Celebrate One Giant Leap
9:45 a.m.
Fifty years ago on this date, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history when they stepped out of the Lunar Module and walked on the Moon. A day-long program of presentations, activities, and celebrations honors one of humankind’s greatest achievements. FREE
Stations of Apollo starts at 9:45 a.m. FREE
A Look Back at Apollo 11
11:00 a.m.
The story of Apollo 11. FREE
The Mysteries of the Moon
12:00 noon
How was the Moon formed? How old is it? What is its fate? We explore the scientific questions that remain about Earth’s companion world. FREE
Man on the Moon: Hoax or No Hoax?
1:00 p.m.
Sadly, millions of Americans say they believe the Apollo missions to the Moon were faked. The evidence says otherwise. FREE
Artemis and the Return to the Moon
2:00 p.m.
America has bold plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024 in a new NASA program called Artemis. FREE
Our Future on the Moon
3:00 p.m.
What might our future on the Moon look like in 50 years? 100 years? Should we go back? Can we build a future civilization there? FREE
Moon Rush: The New Space Race
July 21, 2019
Veteran space journalist Leonard David returns to Griffith Observatory to tell the story of the path for our return to the Moon. This time, however, it’s not just NASA that’s going. Nations from all over the world and private industry have big plans. Mr. David shares highlights from his new book, Moon Rush. A book signing follows the talk.
Stations of Apollo starts at 9:45 a.m. FREE
Moon Rush starts at 7:30 p.m. FREE
Into the Blue
July 22, 2019
Celebrate a New Perspective
The Space Age provides a new vocabulary for what was once the wild blue yonder and transcendental territory of celestial gods. The Apollo astronauts acquired a distinctive epiphany none have shared since the last Apollo mission. From antiquity to the Sea of Tranquility, Griffith Observatory Director Dr. E. C. Krupp shares the story of the path to that perspective. This presentation is part of the Friends Of The Observatory Cosmic Musings lecture series.
Stations of Apollo starts at 11:45 a.m. FREE
Into the Blue starts at 7:30 p.m.
$10 for FOTO members; $25 for non-members
All Space Considered Remembers Apollo 11
July 24, 2019
Video: Celebrate the Return to Earth!
To conclude the Golden Moon Festival, the All Space Considered team returns to recap the monumental history of the Apollo 11 mission and look back at highlights from the Golden Moon Festival.
Stations of Apollo starts at 11:45 a.m. FREE
All Space Considered Remembers Apollo 11 starts at 7:30 p.m. FREE