Moon and Jupiter Focus of Summer Astronomy Night July 12 on Assateague Island in Virginia

Moon and Jupiter Focus of Summer Astronomy Night July 12 on Assateague Island in Virginia

Moon and Jupiter Focus 

of Summer Astronomy Night 

July 12 on Assateague 

Island in Virginia

In July we celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first setting foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center will host a summer astronomy night to observe our lunar neighbor as we remember this historic period, Jupiter and other astronomical objects from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. Friday, July 12, on Assateague Island in Virginia.

Humans last set foot on the Moon in 1972 with the completion of the Apollo program. Following the Apollo missions, robotic missions, such as LADEElaunched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, continue to add to our scientific knowledge of the Moon. 

A child looks through a telescope to observe the solar system during an Astronomy Night event on Assateague Island, Virginia.

Credits: Credit: Krystina Carpenter

Today, NASA is leading a sustainable return to the Moon and on to Mars with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities.

Moon Lights the Way

Astronomy night begins with a presentation in the Herbert H. Bateman Visitor Center auditorium from 7:30 and again at 8:00 p.m. Space is limited and the presentation will be held rain or shine.

From 8:30 – 9:45 p.m. join the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation at the north end of parking lot 1 for night sky observations through high-powered telescopes. The telescope observations are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Monitor the NASA Visitor Center’s Facebook page for updates.

The event is free and open to the public, however park entrance fees still apply. For entrance fee information visit http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Chincoteague/visit/fees.html.
Optional items to bring include binoculars, a red light and insect repellent. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge closes at 10 p.m.

This series is a continued collaboration between Assateague Island National Seashore, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation, and the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center.

The NASA Visitor Center, located on Va. Rt. 175 about six miles from U. S. Route 13 and five miles from Chincoteague, is open daily in July and August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Admission is free.

Rebecca Hudson
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility

Last Updated: July 3, 2019

Editor: Chelsey Ballarte