Morrill Hall showcases moon rocks for 50th anniversary of Apollo 11

Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the first time man ever set foot on the moon, and to celebrate Morrill Hall and Mueller Planetarium are giving you the chance to see history.

The planetarium has moon rocks brought back from both the Apollo 11 mission and Apollo 17, the last trip to the moon.

President Nixon gave each state pieces of moon rocks back in the 1970's, but Nebraska's went missing for a period of time.

"There's no real record of what happened, but all we know is that they disappeared, and then they showed up again in the mid-90s so two decades later as the Governor's mansion was being renovated," said Zach Thompson, Planetarium Coordinator. "Moon rocks, they came from 250,000 miles away and then they got lost. But they're here now, and that's what matters."

Thompson says it's important for Americans to celebrate the 50th anniversary to celebrate where we've been, and to celebrate how far we've come.

"It's incredible to think the cell phones in our pockets are more powerful than the technology that sent us to the moon," Thompson said.

NASA is also looking to put men back on the moon.

"NASA has said that's the goal within the next five years, so maybe in 2024 there will be men on the moon again," Thompson said.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary, Morrill Hall will have special exhibits all day Saturday, including several videos and a moon weight calculator. For more information,

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