George Clooney, astronauts at Kennedy Space Center to celebrate 50th anniversary of Apollo 11

Actors, astronauts and celebrities 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. The celebration took place at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, located at the Space Center. 

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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 also was 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. 

More:50 years after Apollo 11, NASA to study landers that could return astronauts to the moon

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 George Clooney, who was only 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. 

More:Now on sale: US Mint's official Apollo 11 commemorative coins

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 10th and youngest person to walk on the moon. Actor Antoni Porowski ("Queer Eye" on Netflix) and social media influencers Chiara Ferragni and Jay Alvarez walked the red carpet, too.

Aldrin, who also had been scheduled to make an appearance, was unable to attend. 

Contact Jaramillo at 321-242-3668 or antoniaj@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AntoniaJ_11.

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