MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., will host a free event celebrating the moon from noon to 11 p.m. PDT on Saturday, Oct. 8 to celebrate the 2011 International Observe the Moon Night. The NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) sponsors this event.

Schedule:

Noon to 1:45 p.m.- Try your hand at remotely driving a robotic rover in NASA’s lunar simulation test bed at the NASA Ames Exploration Center.

2 to 4 p.m.- Hear from lunar experts in the NASA Ames Conference Center (Building 3). Speakers include David Morrison, director of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute, Jennifer Heldmann, lunar research scientist and Brian Day, astronomer and lunar educator.

7:30 to 11 p.m.- Weather-permitting, participants will be able to view the moon through telescopes set up by members of local amateur astronomy societies. The viewing will be accompanied by a guided tour of lunar features, and speaker Tony Colaprete, lunar research scientist.

No food or beverages will be available at this event. In the event of inclement weather, the telescope viewing will be cancelled.

News media planning to attend should contact Cathy Weselby at 650-604-2791 or cathy.weselby@nasa.gov before 5 p.m. PDT, Friday, Oct. 7, 2011.

For more information about International Observe the Moon Night, visit: http://observethemoonnight.org/

For more information about the Lunar Science Institute, visit: http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/