Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond Kicks Off!

NC Museum of Natural Sciences Hosts Astronomy Days Jan. 26-27 and Begins Statewide Apollo Lunar Landing 50th Anniversary Celebrations

Media Contact:

Lee Cannon, Communications Specialist, NC Space Grant
919-515-2456, lacannon@ncsu.edu

Jan. 22, 2019 (RALEIGH, N.C.) — In 1969, the astronauts of Apollo 11 became the first humans to plant their boots on the Moon. Now, half a century later, the time has come for a new generation to experience the magic and majesty of that “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

To celebrate this giant leap nearly 50 years ago, institutions* throughout North Carolina will kick-off the Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond campaign at Astronomy Days 2019: From Apollo to the Future at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond campaign will deliver a healthy dose of space mania through December 2019, including festivals, exhibits, lunar and star parties, movies, rocket launches, space camps, astronomy days, musical performances, educational programming… and even a few Star Wars-themed events!

Astronomy Days 2019 will take place on Saturday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 27 at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. This annual FREE event features moon-related activities and talks, rocket launches, comet crafts, solar observations—and serves as the inaugural event for the Lift Off NC celebration! You don’t want to miss this year’s theme: From Apollo to the Future!

Look for the Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond branded table on the first floor of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Exploration Center, in front of the Museum Store. Grab promotional materials with all the campaign events for the rest of 2019, complete a DIY Moon rover craft, and learn more about Apollo 11 and man’s first walk on the Moon!

For information about Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond, visit liftoffnc.org and follow #LiftOffNC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond

Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond is a year-long campaign commemorating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and humankind’s first lunar landing. This celestial space celebration features festivals, exhibits, lunar- and star-gazing parties, feature films and documentaries, model rockets, space camps, astronomy days, musical performances, educational programming and fun activities. Related events start in January 2019 and run through December.

* Lift Off NC: Apollo + Beyond is the brainchild of a consortium of RTP-based organizations, including:  Marbles Kids Museum, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Museum of Life and Science, North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Space Grant and North Carolina Symphony.