Carnegie Science Center programs celebrate 1969 moon landing

Carnegie Science Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of mankind’s “giant leap” — the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969 — with a summer of special programming.

A new exhibition, “Sun, Earth, Universe,” features interactive exhibits and imagery to “connect visitors with current NASA science research and launch them on a journey to explore the universe.” The exhibit focuses on big questions NASA is trying to answer about the Earth, the solar system and the universe.

“Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” is playing in the Rangos Giant Cinema. Made exclusively for science museums and giant screens, the new, 47-minute documentary “transports you to the center of the exhilarating final moments of preparation, liftoff, and the first human steps on the Moon,” with never-before-seen footage and newly discovered audio recordings of the historic NASA mission.

The science center’s XPLOR Store is selling a limited edition #SummerOfSpace T-shirt, “inspired by Pittsburgh’s role in the Apollo 11 lunar landing and Yinzer culture.” Admission fee is not required to shop at XPLOR.

Happy #SundayFunday!?If you're looking for stellar ways to spend the day, come check out our new Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition, catch a dazzling planetarium show, and join us for safe solar observing!??️All included in general admission. #SummerOfSpace https://t.co/CLqxU0VDh4

— Carnegie Science Ctr (@CarnegieSciCtr) June 30, 2019

Other special events and programs at the facility on Pittsburgh’s North Shore include:

• Solar Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 25. Visitors can observe the sun safely through solar telescopes and sun funnels and talk with astronomy educators. The program will take place, weather permitting, at the center’s main entrance. Included in general admission.

• Moon Mondays, 11 a.m. Mondays through Aug. 26. Young children accompanied by adults can enjoy moon-themed stories under a full moon and starry sky in the planetarium. Included in general admission.

• Fly Me to the Moon, premieres July 4 in Buhl Planetarium. The show includes information on Pittsburghers who helped make astronaut Neil Armstrong’s first step on the lunar surface possible. Included in general admission. Show times listed on the center’s website.

• SkyWatch, 8 and 10 p.m. July 16 (Gaze at a Full Moon) and Aug. 13 (Perseid meteor shower). Astronomy experts will navigate the virtual tours of the night sky, weather permitting, at the rooftop Buhl Observatory telescope. SkyWatch happens rain or shine.

• Apollo Moonshot Celebration, for guests 18 and older, 7 p.m.-1 a.m. July 19. Evening will include stargazing, a screening of “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” in the Rangos Giant Cinema, presentations by guest researchers, lunar science demonstrations, cash bar and food. Admission is $50; proper ID is required.

• Space Out! Astronomy Weekend, July 20–21. Celebrate Apollo 11’s historic mission to the Moon and the latest achievements in lunar science with space-themed activities and demonstrations and telescope viewing. Included in general admission.

• Science on Screen®: “Hidden Figures,” 7 p.m. July 24. View the Oscar-nominated 2016 film about a team of African-American women who provided NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions in the 1960s. Screening will include an introduction by Elayne Arrington, the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Engineering.

Details: 412-237-3400 or carnegiesciencecenter.org