Huntsville, Ala. — The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is offering two special programs for the holiday season. Tonight and next Friday, Dec. 27, learn about the Star of Bethlehem in an astronomical context at the INTUITIVE® Planetarium, and celebrate the Apollo 8 mission, the “Christmas Mission,” this Sunday, Dec. 22.
The Star of Bethlehem program balances science and religion while exploring theories on what celestial phenomenon may have led the Magi to the Nativity more than 2,000 years ago. The Star of Bethlehem presentation begins at 7 p.m., with doors open at 6:15. Tickets are $15 for the general public or $10 for museum members.
For the second year, the Rocket Center is celebrating the Apollo 8 mission with music, carols and a candlelight reflection. It has been 51 years since Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders became the first humans to orbit the moon. From their command module on Christmas Eve, the astronauts each read from the book of Genesis, broadcasting a message of peace and goodwill to a worldwide audience.
The Apollo 8 Celebration takes place Sunday from 4 to 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Guests should enter at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration north doors, which open at 3:30.