Griffith Observatory to celebrate 1st close encounter ever with Pluto

On July 14, 2015, after a journey of 10 years and three billion miles, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will make the first close encounter ever with Pluto.

Griffith Observatory will host several activities to celebrate the New Horizons encounter with dwarf planet Pluto. All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015, LIVE PLUTO FLYBY

1:00 - 5:00 p.m. PDT: Twenty-minute talks on Pluto and New Horizons, presented hourly

5:00 - 7:00 p.m. PDT: NASA-TV coverage of the New Horizons flyby with commentary by Griffith Observatory staff

6:02 p.m. PDT: Signal from New Horizons confirms the spacecraft's safe passage through the Pluto system

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. PDT: Presentation by Griffith Observatory staff about the New Horizons mission and recap of the evening's events (Streamed live on GriffithTV)

10:00 p.m. PDT: Observatory and Griffith Park close as usual

Friday, July 17, 2015, ALL PLUTO CONSIDERED

7:30 - 8:45 p.m. PDT: Griffith Observatory Curator Dr. Laura Danly and Griffith Observatory Director Dr. E. C. Krupp show the latest images of Pluto from New Horizons and illustrate Pluto's impact on culture from its discovery until now.

Griffith Observatory, Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, California 90027

The events are FREE and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, up to the capacity of the theater.