Hold moon rocks, see Apollo memorabilia this Thursday at Hurstville Center in Maquoketa

The Apollo missions enabled astronauts to collect and bring lunar rocks and soil back to Earth. Participants at an upcoming event at the Hurstville Interpretive Center will have the opportunity to see and hold these very rocks and soil from the moon. Join Jackson County Conservation for a free event on Thursday at 6 p.m. to learn more about the moon and the Apollo missions.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required 48 hours in advance. For more information or to register, contact Jackson County Conservation at (563) 652-3783 or jess@jacksonccb.com. The Hurstville Interpretive Center, 18670 63rd St., is one mile north of Maquoketa on Highway 61.

The program will begin with a short presentation from Dave Gossman about the moon rocks, including what these lunar samples reveal about the geology of the moon and the insight they give into the moon’s history. Bruce Droessler of Maquoketa worked for the Apollo Program and will share about his experience as a launch technician and in the Firing Room at NASA. Droessler will have memorabilia from the Apollo missions, including a launch procedure signed by astronauts that went to the moon.

Following the presentation, participants will be able to view the memorabilia and hold the moon rocks and soil samples, while also viewing them through a microscope. For additional learning, a 57-minute video, “From the Earth to the Moon,” will begin around 7 p.m. This video examines the world of lunar geology and the preparations for making lunar exploration more than just an engineering feat.