News releases

July 20, 2009

TO: Editors, news directors
FROM: Chris Barncard, University Communications, 608-890-0465, barncard@wisc.edu
RE: ADVISORY: UW-MADISON SCIENTISTS DIG MOON ROCKS

The moon has landed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface, researchers in UW-Madison's Department of Geoscience are studying rocks and dirt brought back by Apollo moon missions.

Samples will be available for viewing at 1 p.m. today (July 20) in the Ion Microprobe Laboratory just inside the main entrance in Weeks Hall, 1215 W. Dayton St.

Mike Spicuzza, instrumentation technologist in the Stable Isotope Laboratory, is involved in the ongoing analysis of the Apollo samples. He will be present to explain how the moon samples give geologists a look at a young earth and the great care NASA requires when it loans out rocks collected more than 230,000 miles from Madison.

Parking will be available - for those with media permits - in Lot 54 on the south side of Weeks Hall, Lot 51 at Charter and Spring streets or lots 53 and 45 on Dayton between Charter and Mills streets.

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