Moon rocks and meteorites coming to Homewood Library

A few pieces of outer space will land in Homewood in January.

A NASA exhibit of moon rock and meteorite samples will be coming to Homewood Public Library for two weeks, Teen Librarian Judith Wright said. It’s part of the NASA @ My Library grant that Homewood received in 2017 and renewed in 2018.

“We are excited about bringing them to our community,” Wright said.

Members of the public can come to the library on Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. for a program that will include a viewing of the samples and a talk from local astronaut Lawrence DeLucas.

DeLucas is a biochemist who flew in NASA’s STS-50 mission in 1992 as a payload specialist. The mission included 31 experiments in Microgravity Laboratory 1. DeLucas and the crew members were in space nearly 14 days.

“It’s a wonderful experience. It’s something you never forget,” DeLucas said.

“I’ve always told NASA they should fly a poet or a writer because it’s emotional to look out the window down at Earth.”

DeLucas now works at Aerospace Corporation and is currently working on experiments to determine why protein crystals form more perfectly in microgravity conditions in space. He said his experiments could have impact on understanding the way proteins work in the body and with diseases.

He does speaking engagements multiple times per month, often with kids around the U.S. DeLucas said he is a regular advisor to students competing in NASA robotics competitions.

At the Homewood library, DeLucas said he will discuss his experiences in space and his current work, as well as “the value of exploration and why it’s important to continue this” on a national level.

“I just feel like it’s important to share with the general public, with students, … what it’s like and why it’s important, try to get them excited about research,” he said.

Wright said DeLucas will also speak to the Homewood-Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club lunch on Jan. 30 and the Homewood Rotary Club lunch on Jan. 31, and the samples will be available there, as well. The samples will be taken to each elementary school in the first week of February before they are returned to NASA.

While the lunar and meteorite samples are small and “deep encased in glass” for security reasons, Wright said it’s still a rare opportunity.

“How often do you get to see samples from the moon?” she said.

Not just any library or organization can request lunar and meteorite samples from NASA. Wright said getting certified is a “very intense” training process because of the value of the samples. She received certification to be part of NASA’s Lunar and Meteorite Sample Disk loan program during a conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

While these bits of outer space are in Homewood, they will be kept in a safe and can only be on display with Wright and a police officer present, to ensure no one attempts to take them.

“You’re being held responsible for these priceless items,” Wright said.

According to NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) website, each meteorite sample disk includes six different types of meteorites. Each lunar sample display disk includes three samples of lunar rocks and three samples of lunar soil, collected by Apollo astronauts.

Wright said she is looking forward to “seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces and the adults” at these events.

It won’t be the last time Homewood plays host to meteorites and moon rocks. Wright said they will have another set of samples in June, which will be displayed as part of the summer reading program and a summer space camp, which will be held June 24-28 for grades 3-5.

In the future, Wright said she is hoping to bring samples from the NASA lending program to the library a couple times a year.

There is no charge to attend the Jan. 28 event at the library. Visit homewood-mtbrook-al.kiwanisone.org and homewoodrotaryal.com for information on attending their luncheons.