VIEW GALLERY <\/p>\n
The stars came out for a charity night to raise cash for the proposed 8.5m Kielder Observatory Astronomy Village. <\/p>\n
The main speaker was NASA flight controller Sy Liebergot who played a crucial role in bringing the stricken Apollo 13 back to earth safely. <\/p>\n
And the event was hosted in the Moncur Suite at St James Park, home of Newcastle United, by diehard Sunderland fan and Athletics legend Steve Cram. <\/p>\n
Steve, now a respected TV commentator, joked at the beginning of the evening. Its not often I can say its a pleasure to come to St James Park. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile Toon star Bob Moncur, who the suite was named after and also attended, hit back: Steves not used to big crowds. <\/p>\n
The black tie event, funded by Cramlington-based manufacturing company Miller International, marked the official launch of the astronomy village project. <\/p>\n
It included an auction of some, literally, out of this world lots including a rare 2.13g slice of lunar meteorite, a piece of the NASA space shuttle signed by Sy Liebergot, and a facsimile of the Apollo 13 checklist, again signed by Sy as well as astronauts on the mission Jim Lovell and Fed Haise. <\/p>\n
Movie fans may remember the Ron Howard film Apollo 13 which recreated the dramatic events of the mission. <\/p>\n
However pride of place went to a framed dollar bill, signed by members of the Apollo 11 mission which was the first to land on the moon. They were Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. <\/p>\n
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Stars come out for charity night in aid of Kielder Observatory Astronomy Village plan<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" VIEW GALLERY The stars came out for a charity night to raise cash for the proposed 8.5m Kielder Observatory Astronomy Village. The main speaker was NASA flight controller Sy Liebergot who played a crucial role in bringing the stricken Apollo 13 back to earth safely. And the event was hosted in the Moncur Suite at St James Park, home of Newcastle United, by diehard Sunderland fan and Athletics legend Steve Cram Continue reading