![](\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2018\/10\/IOTM-1-950x950.jpg\")
Fifty years after Apollo 8 became NASA\u2019s first mission to circle the moon, UCF invites the community to explore this celestial body from right here on Earth.<\/p>\n
UCF\u2019s Robinson Observatory will host International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, Oct. 20, in front of the Reflecting Pond. Started in 2010 by NASA\u2019s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission office, this annual event invites communities to celebrate lunar science and exploration.<\/p>\n
Adrienne Dove, an assistant professor in the physics department, hosted the event as a graduate student at her previous institution before bringing it to the UCF campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of it is getting people to recognize that we have this big celestial neighbor that is commonly seen in the day and night sky, but many people don\u2019t know much about the science behind it,\u201d she says. \u201cSo we are trying to both engage the public in looking at the moon as part of our lives and our history, but also thinking about the cool science that\u2019s being done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Telescopes and volunteers will be at the ready to help the public find the best view of the moon. In addition, there will be one telescope set up with a camera feed that will be projected on a screen so experts can share specific features of the moon with the public. With a little luck, Mars and Saturn will be visible as well.<\/p>\n
At UCF, International Observe the Moon Night is just one of many Knights Under the Stars events hosted by Robinson Observatory and the student-run Astronomy Society.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t run public events without the Astronomy Society\u2019s students. They\u2019re super helpful and very enthusiastic. Plus it\u2019s a great learning opportunity for them,\u201d says Yan Fernandez, the director of Robinson Observatory.<\/p>\n