http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=7395

I remember the day after the Alan Shepard flight, the “Daily Tar Heel” ran a picture of Shepard and John Glenn at the Morehead Planetarium. The front page picture was taken about a year before the flight when both astronauts were training in Chapel Hill. The accompanying article told of the training program and said the astronauts stayed at the Carolina Inn. During the time the astronauts were training at Morehead Planetarium, several national magazines ran stories…”Sky & Telescope,” “Missiles and Rockets,” and the “Saturday Evening Post” ran a picture of John Glenn in the Morehead simulator.

The astronaut training program was not the only time the Morehead Planetarium was in the national spotlight. The first Planetarium Director, Dr. Roy K. Marshall, who had come to Chapel Hill from the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia, brought with him a NBC television program called “The Nature of Things.” Dr. Marshall had started the program in late 1948 and it continued until 1954.

The Morehead Planetarium was officially dedicated during a ceremony held on May 10, 1949 that attracted some of North Carolina’s most prominent citizens. U.S. Senator Frank Porter Graham, N.C. Governor Kerr Scott, Acting University President William Carmichael, University Chancellor Robert House, and John Motley Morehead, III as well as other members of his family attended the ceremony. Following the dedication, assembled dignitaries viewed the Planetarium’s first show, “Let There Be Light,” narrated by Dr. Marshall. (A Planetarium booklet published in 1949, says that admission to the planetarium was 38 cents for adults).

The astronaut training program continued at the Morehead Planetarium through the Apollo-Soyuz program in July, 1975.

On June 16, 1989, five of the seven original Mercury Astronauts returned to the Morehead Planetarium to celebrate several aniversaries…the 30th anniversary of US space program, the 40th anniversary of the Morehaed Planetarium, and the 20th anniversary of the first moon landing. Wally Schirra, Scott Carpenter. Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper, and Donald “Deke” Slayton, along with Betty Grissom, wife of the late “Gus” Grissom were on hand for a special celebration. (Sen. John Glenn, the other Mercury Seven astronaut was not able to leave his duties in Washington). The astronauts presented a plaque commemorating their Chapel Hill training to Planetarium Director Anthony Jenzano.

Finally, let me mention one of my favorite planetarium displays. On page 75 of “Life” magazine for October 3, 1949, there is what the magazine called a “Celestial Choo Choo”… An image of UNC All America Charlie Choo Choo Justice, projected in stars eluding as astral tackler.
http://www.life.com/image/50524457

Here are a few clues:

(1) The only geologist among the Apollo crews. (PhD in Geology from Harvard, 1964).

(2) Was part of the crew on the only Apollo night time (actually early morning) launch.

(3) Was Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 17.

(4) He is believed to have taken the photograph of the Earth known as The Blue Marble…one of the most widely distributed photographic images in existence.

(5) Next to the last man to walk on the moon.

(6)) US Senator from New Mexico, 1977-1983.

His name: Dr. Harrison “Jack” Schmitt

Of the men pictured, as you say, four walked on the moon… Conrad (Apollo 12), Mitchell (Apollo 16), Irwin (Apollo 15). and Duke (Apollo 16). Each mission had a command module pilot who stayed in orbit in the command module but really went to the moon, just didn’t walk on the surface. They are: Worden (Apollo 15), Mattingly (Apollo 16), Evans (Apollo 17). Then there are three flights that came really close by orbiting the moon, but didn’t land…Apollo 8, Apollo 10, and Apollo 13. No one from Apollo 8 or Apollo 10 is in the picture, but Swigert and Haise from Apollo 13 are there.

Now, let me pose a question: Of the 12 men who walked on the moon, 11 of them trained at the Morehead Planetarium. Which one didn’t? I’ll post the answer a bit later.