Everything Lunar at LPL

Everything Lunar at LPL

LPL's 2014 summer outreach event was themed "Everything Lunar: Celebrating the Past, Exploring the Future." The festivities were held on July 20 to mark the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing; approximately 600 guests attended.

Activities and exhibits were varied and included:

  • tours of the University of Arizona Electron Microprobe Lab
  • robotics design and testing
  • comet creations, cratering experiments, and telescopes
  • exhibits of Apollo mission hardware
  • meteorite exhibit, including a lunar meteorite
  • information about the Apollo program
  • story time with Mr. Nature Goes to the Moon

Professor Gene Giacomelli (Director, UA Controlled Environment Agriculture Center) lectured on "Creating a Lunar Greenhouse" and Professor Timothy D. Swindle (Head and Director, Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) spoke about "Studying the Apollo Lunar Samples Four Decades Later." LPL was also able to host a very well received showing of "Desert Moon," the documentary film by Jason Davis that tells the story of the origins of LPL and its contributions to the Apollo missions.

Visitors had the opportunity to speak with scientists about their research and work with the Apollo missions:

  • Dr. Spencer Titley (Professor Emeritus, Department of Geosciences) trained the Apollo astronauts-to-be about the geology of the Moon and gave them field experience with moon-like geological features at Arizona's Meteor Crater and other locations
  • Mr. Ewen Whitaker (Research Scientist, retired, Department of Planetary Sciences/LPL), worked with Dr. Gerard Kuiper to produce lunar atlases in preparation for the Apollo landings; he is an expert on lunar nomenclature and author of "Mapping and Naming the Moon"
  • Mr. Jim Scotti (Research Specialist Senior, LPL SPACEWATCH®)
  • Dr. Veronica Bray (Associate Staff Scientist, Department of Planetary Sciences/LPL), Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LROC) team
  • Dr. Julia Bodnarik (Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Planetary Sciences/LPL) uses lunar exploration neutron detectors onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to understand hydrogen migration on the Moon
  • Ms. Dolores Hill (Research Specialist, Senior, Department of Planetary Sciences/LPL) analyzes meteorites

Thanks to all our exhibitors, volunteers, and guests for making the day so fun and educational!

LPL's Veronica Bray answered a lot of great questions about the Moon!
Lunar Sample number 15015,78 (016) was on display, as was a lot of Apollo
mission history.
Cratering experiments!
Telescopes before...
Telescopes after...
Mr. Nature Goes to the Moon!
Spencer Titley and Ewen Whitaker
Apollo mission hardware