Pluto and Charon.jpg

Pluto and its moon Charon in a new photograph by NASA's New Horizons probe. The spacecraft will fly within 6,500 miles of Pluto on Tuesday, July 14, 2015. (NASA)

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center will co-host a "Plutopalooza" celebration Tuesday to mark the New Horizons spacecraft's flyby of the dwarf planet at the edge of the solar system. New Horizons has traveled more than 3 billion miles to pass within 6,200 miles of Pluto Tuesday morning at 6:50 a.m. CDT.

The event at the space center runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and features hands-on activities, multimedia shows in the GeoDome planetarium, space story time and a virtual reality solar system tour. Marshall center and Space & Rocket Center staff will provide educational activities for children throughout the day.

The daylong event is available free to space center members and with paid admission to the public.