“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win…”

With those words, spoken by President John F. Kennedy during his famous speech at Rice University in 1962, the President urged America to strive for progress, for knowledge and for a vision of achievement that deserved the best of all humanity. His words were front-page news across the U.S., where Americans were energized, excited and inspired by Kennedy’s aspirations to reach the moon.

Relive the excitement of the Apollo 11 moon landing at The Bishop, which has a full lineup of special events  slated for July.

July 2-31
“One Giant Leap,” created by our own astronomy expert, is showing daily in The Planetarium. The 15-minute show, appropriate for all audiences, includes sounds and images from the launch of Sputnik — the world’s first man-made satellite sent into space by the Soviets, which also launched the race for dominance in outer space. It also includes audio and video of President Kennedy’s 1962 Rice University speech and flight segments from earlier Apollo missions amid visions of 50,000 years of human achievement. Included in the price of admission.

July 27
KidSpace. We unleash the awesome power of The Planetarium during KidSpace, where kids can become scientific masters of the universe as we take off from the Earth’s surface and fly to places humans have never been. KidSpace is designed for grades 1-5 and their grown-ups, but everyone is welcome! 10:30 a.m. $5 for eligible members of the Discovery Society; $8 for all others. (Please note: Admission to The Bishop is not included with your KidSpace ticket price.)
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July 20-27
Smithsonian Channel’s “The Day We Walked on the Moon.” Witness one of the most important 24-hours in history through stunning remastered footage and interviews that take you behind-the-scenes and inside the spacecraft, Mission Control and the homes of the astronauts’ families. This 50-minute, PG-rated movie will be shown in the all-digital Planetarium. Included in the price of admission.
>10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20;
>1:15 p.m. Sunday, July 21;
>11:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 through Friday, July 26;
>2 p.m. Saturday, July 27.

July 24
Stelliferous. The stars are the stars during this live guided tour of the upcoming month’s skies with a staff astronomer, who also shares the most current events in astronomy and opens the floor for Q&A. 7 p.m. $5 for eligible members of the Discovery Society; $8 for all others.
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