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On Friday, September 27, 2024, at 5:00 PM, the Intrepid Museum will present Astronomy Night.
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The Intrepid Museum invites visitors to its last Free Friday of the year on September 27 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, offering extended hours at no cost. Special programming during this event will include Astronomy Night, part of the Astro Live Series.
A recent view of USS Intrepid at Pier 86 on Manhattan Island, New York City. (image via Wikipedia)
Astronomy Nights are free and provide fun-filled, educational experiences for the whole family. The events feature talks from astronauts, engineers, and scientists, as well as activities and demonstrations led by Museum educators. Local astronomers will be present with high-powered telescopes to assist visitors in navigating the night sky and to answer questions about astronomy and stargazing. Guests are encouraged to bring their own binoculars or use the telescopes provided by the experts.
Mike Massimino is a New York Times bestselling author who served as a NASA Astronaut from 1996 to 2014. He is a four-time spacewalker who completed two missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, including the final Hubble servicing mission which has been called the most dangerous and complex mission in space shuttle history. Mike set a team record with his crewmates for the most cumulative spacewalking time in a single space shuttle mission, and he was also the first person to tweet from space. Mike received his BS from Columbia University and his PhD from MIT. He currently lives in New York City where he is a professor at Columbia, Senior Space Advisor at the Intrepid Museum, an expert television commentator, and an in-demand keynote speaker. He also had a recurring role as himself on The Big Bang Theory television series.
Sidney M. Gutierrez is currently the Chairman of Vaya Space, a rocket company dedicated to changing the way we access space and making the benefits of space available to all mankind. Previously he served in various leadership capacities at Sandia National Laboratories where he led programs including satellites and space payloads
Colonel Gutierrez is retired from the US Air Force where he served as a fighter pilot and test pilot before being selected as an Astronaut by NASA. He was the Pilot of the Columbia on STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences and Commander of the Shuttle Endeavour on STS-59 Space Radar Laboratory.
He holds a BS in Aeronautical Engineering – Distinguished Graduate – from the United States Air Force Academy and an MA in Management from Webster University. He is on the Board of Directors of PNM Resources – an electric utility. He served on NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and the International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Presidential Taskforce reporting to President Bush. His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.
Tom Jones is a veteran astronaut, planetary scientist, pilot, author, and speaker who completed four space shuttle missions and three spacewalks in helping build the International Space Station. Jones has authored six books, including Sky Walking: An Astronaut’s Memoir, and has written for aerospace magazines such as Air & Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Popular Mechanics, and The Planetary Report. A senior research scientist for IHMC, he appears regularly on television news as an expert commentator for space exploration and science stories.
This month, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from former NASA astronaut and author Tom Jones, who will discuss his latest book, *Space Shuttle Stories: Firsthand Astronaut Accounts from All 135 Missions*, in conversation with former NASA astronauts Mike Massimino and Sidney M. Gutierrez. The talk will provide insights into all 135 shuttle missions through firsthand accounts from the astronauts who flew them, with additional stories shared by these experienced space travelers. The discussion will take place in the Intrepid Museum‘s Space Shuttle Pavilion, and for those unable to attend in person, the conversation will be livestreamed on Facebook or YouTube.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.