page_title: Airdrie Public Observatory
section_title: Apollo astronauts' visits
hierarchical_section_title: Airdrie Public Observatory / Apollo astronauts' visits
caption_attribution_description: Charles Duke at Airdrie Observatory.
context_page_description: Airdrie Public Observatory is a fully operational, historic astronomical observatory, which is part of the library building in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. There are only four public observatories operating in the United Kingdom, all of which are in Scotland. Airdrie Observatory is the smallest, and second oldest.
  The observatory is owned and funded by Culture NL, and operated on their behalf by the Airdrie Astronomical Association, a local astronomy club and registered charity. The current observatory curators are AAA members Hannah Robinson and William Tennant.
context_section_description: As part of AAA secretary Aileen Malone's “Walk With Destiny” project, three Apollo astronauts visited the observatory between 2010 and 2012:
  Brigadier General Charlie Duke,  the Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot, and the 10th man to walk on the Moon, visited in October 2010, and spoke to local school children about his experiences;
  Colonel Al Worden, Command Module Pilot on Apollo 15 visited in June 2012. Like Duke, Worden gave a talk and answered questions from local school children;
  Captain Richard Gordon, Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 12 mission, visited in October 2012, giving a lecture to space enthusiasts at Glasgow Caledonian University.
  All three astronauts accepted the position of Honorary President of AAA.  Sir Patrick Moore was AAA's first Honorary President, from 2009 until his death in 2012.
caption: Charlie Duke at Airdrie Observatory.
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