International Observe the Moon Night to be Held in Edwardsville
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville CosmoQuest team invites the public to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Annie’s Custard in downtown Edwardsville. People worldwide will gaze at a partial moon in the early evening when craters can be easily seen.
The yearly InOMN celebration supports the observation, appreciation and understanding of the moon and its connection to NASA planetary science and exploration. The program is supported by the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and organized by a team of volunteers, including Pamela L. Gay, PhD, a faculty member in SIUE’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Center.
“This global celebration includes events on every continent except Antarctica,” explained Gay. “This event will provide local space enthusiasts, and custard enthusiasts, a chance to learn how NASA and other space agencies are exploring the moon today, and hear about the latest discoveries while they observe the Earth’s nearest neighbor.”
In Edwardsville, CosmoQuest and the Riverbend Astronomy Club will have telescopes and binoculars available to view the moon and other bright objects in the sky. The event will also feature hands-on activities, including CosmoQuest’s Moon Mappers project, which invites everyday people to help NASA scientists map the Moon.
