With the recent news of a historic, upcoming spacewalk and the 50-year anniversary of mankind’s iconic first steps on the moon fast approaching, it’s a perfect time to celebrate all things space. Now, the Houston Museum of Natural Science is giving locals the chance to get up close to our beloved satellite with a new exhibit and experience.

Moon over Houston
Moon by Luke Jerram, a globe-trotting, jaw-dropping phenomenon, debuts Friday, April 19 at HMNS. The massive, internally lit lunar lunar sculpture features Apollo 11’s landing spot, and even the elusive “dark side of the moon” — all displayed in “stunning resolution” just above viewers’ heads, according to the museum.

Moon measures 23 feet in diameter and features detailed imagery recorded by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each inch of the sculpture represents 42 feet of the moon’s surface, per a release. The result is a larger-than-life, full moon hanging in space, while accompanied by a spacey, surround-sound soundtrack.

Blast off
Guests can also land on the moon, circle the International Space Station, board tomorrow’s “Lunar Gateway,” and even visit a colony at the moon’s South Pole through a virtual reality experience created by HMNS dubbed, Destination: Moon.

Space is the place
NASA’s 24 Apollo astronauts who reached lunar orbit are the only humans to escape the surly bonds of Earth’s gravitational pull. In a new Burke Baker Planetarium show, To Defy Gravity, guests can share those pioneers’ adventure to the moon and visit a realistic future lunar colony where humans could enjoy a low-gravity world.

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Moon by Luke Jerram opens Friday, April 19 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Dr. For tickets and information, visit the official site.