On Sunday, August 5, 2012, Griffith Observatory hosted thousands of visitors to watch the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars.
On Friday, September 21, 2012, Griffith Observatory hosted thousands of people for multiple flyovers by the space shuttle Endeavour as it passed over Los Angeles landmarks prior to landing at LAX.
Griffith Observatory Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 17 Mission
On Friday, December 21, 2012, Griffith Observatory hosted special activities to mark the end of Baktun-13 on the Maya calendar and NOT the end of the world.
Comet PANSTARRS was observed from Griffith Observatory through telescopes and binoculars through most of March 2013.
On Sunday, March 10, 2013, Mr. Carroll presented a lecture and signed copies of his book, "Drifting on Alien Winds".
On June 18, 2013 the Observatory hosted a panel discussion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Sally Ride's flight into space aboard Space Shuttle Challenger, making her the first American woman in space.
Several hundred people gathered on the lawn at Griffith Observatory on July 19, 2013, to wave at Saturn as NASA's Cassini spacecraft took a photograph of the ringed planet with Earth in the background.
The annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak between 6:15 a.m. and 6:45 p.m., P.D.T., on Monday, August 12, 2013.
Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) was discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok while collecting data for the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON).