Perth to shine for astronaut

Perth - The Western Australian city of Perth plans to turn on its lights for the US astronaut Mr John Glenn later this month

Perth - The Western Australian city of Perth plans to turn on its lights for the US astronaut Mr John Glenn later this month. Perth became known as "the City of Lights" after its people spontaneously switched on their lights to salute Mr Glenn on his three-orbit mission 26 years ago. They will be asked to do it about 12.32 a.m. on October 31st (4.31 p.m. Irish time on October 30th) when Mr Glenn, now aged 77 and a member of the US Senate, passes the city on his second space mission, on board the space shuttle Discovery.