Buzz Aldrin to touch down in Cork for lunar lecture

When Buzz Aldrin comes to Cork in June, he will give a public talk with a large replica of the lunar surface he once walked upon above his head.

The iconic astronaut who followed Neil Armstrong down the steps of the lunar module and onto the surface of the moon in 1969 will give the distinguished lecture on June 27 at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) alongside the Museum of the Moon installation.

The whole world came to a standstill in 1969 when Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon and he continues to draw crowds right across the world when he speaks. While the words of Armstrong upon setting foot on the moon are known all over the world, Aldrin famously used the words “magnificent desolation” to describe the scene he met when standing on the lunar surface.

Since then, the satellite has inspired artists, poets, scientists, writers and musicians all over the world, including British artist Luke Jerram who has created a huge replica of the lunar surface which will be over Dr Aldrin’s head when he gives his Cork lecture.

Measuring some seven metres in diameter, it features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally-lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface.

Over its lifetime, the Museum of the Moon will be presented in a number of ways both indoors and outdoors, so altering the experience and interpretation of the artwork. As it travels from place to place, it will gather new musical compositions and an ongoing collection of personal responses, stories and mythologies, as well as highlighting the latest moon science.

Buzz Aldrin

The installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight, and surround-sound composition created by the Bafta and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones. Each venue also programmes their own series lunar-inspired events beneath the moon.

Arriving on Midsummer’s Day, it will fill the Nexus Hall at CIT to coincide with the International Space University’s 30th Annual Space Studies Programme (SSP17) which will be hosted by CIT from June 26 to August 25, as well as celebrating the magic of Midsummer.

Buzz Aldrin will give a public talk in front of the installation on June 27.

For further information on SSP17 and the SSP17 Public Engagement Programme visit www.ssp17.ie.