BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Actors, including George Clooney, astronauts and celebrities alike gathered Thursday night at Kennedy Space Center to celebrate the momentous achievement humankind made nearly 50 years ago.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the Swiss watch brand Omega hosted an event in honor of the Apollo 11 mission at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, located at the Space Center.
Fifty years ago, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their daring steps upon the lunar surface, Aldrin was wearing more than just the spacesuit needed to survive the harsh environments of space. He was also wearing an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch — the NASA certified watch that was coined as the "first Omega in space" during the 1960s.
Since the moon landing, Omega has gone on to release various other "moon-themed" watches such as the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Moonshine Limited Edition, as well as hosting various space-related events throughout the years.
This year, Omega decided to honor the moon landing anniversary at the very place where the Apollo missions lifted off.
Some notable figures at the black-tie dinner included actor Clooney, who was 8 years old when Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon.
"We're all going up on a rocket later, is that the idea," Clooney joked with photographers before heading inside the center. "You don't want to take a ride with me though, I died in 'Gravity."'
The actor, who gained fame in the '90s playing Dr. Doug Ross on "ER," also starred in the 2013 sci-fi film, "Gravity," with actress Sandra Bullock.
George Clooney and Sandra Bullock premiere their 3-D space flick 'Gravity' in New York, and Clooney reveals that James Cameron said it's the 'best space movie he's ever seen.' (Oct. 2) AP
This wasn't Clooney's first time at the Space Coast, however. Back in 2013, the actor filmed some scenes at Space View Park and Kennedy Space Center for Disney's adventure film "Tomorrowland."
Others in attendance for the Omega event included former astronauts Thomas Stafford, who served as commander on Apollo 10, and Charles Moss Duke, the tenth and youngest person to walk on the moon.
Aldrin, who had also been scheduled to make an appearance, was unable to attend.