The University of Arizona’s Moon Tree is an American Sycamore located on the UA campus between the Kuiper Space Sciences Building and the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium. The Moon Tree was grown from a seed that travelled to the moon on the Apollo 14 space mission with astronaut Stuart Roosa in 1971. The seed was sent to space as part of a project of the US Forest Service Research Program, to study the effects of zero gravity on germination. The sycamore has been part of the University of Arizona campus since it was planted in 1976. NASA documents it as one of only 64 surviving moon trees located around the world.

The “Celebrating the Moon Tree” event, which honors this tree, will feature remarks from Jack Roosa, son of Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa. The event is a collaborative effort hosted the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and the University of Arizona Poetry Center.

The event takes place on Friday, October 30, from 4:30-5:30 p.m., in the Kuiper Space Sciences Building Auditorium.

This event is sure to have something for everyone as we celebrate interconnections to this magnificent Tree. In addition to Jack Roosa, speakers at the celebration include Steve Leavitt, Director of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research; Tanya Quist, Director of the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum; Tim Swindle, Director of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and Tyler Meier, Director of the University of Arizona Poetry Center. 

The celebration will be followed by a screening of the Desert Moon Movie from 6:00-6:35 p.m., and a Star Party on the UA Mall from 6:30-10:00 p.m., hosted by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association. 

All events are free and open to the public.