National Moon Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the cratered surface of the moon and said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” it appeared that every nation on earth exhaled a sigh of relief. National Moon Day commemorates not only the historic lunar mission on July 20, 1969, but also the difficult struggle to get the space programme off the ground. On National Moon Day, we recall both the humorous and significant moments of the space race, which culminated in the United States being the first to plant a flag on the moon. Stay put — the tale is enthralling!

The background of National Moon Day

On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin were the first humans in history to arrive on the Moon. Apollo 11 took place eight years after President John F. Kennedy announced the national objective to send a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s.

In 1961, President Kennedy told a special joint session of Congress, “I believe this nation should commit to achieving the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of this decade.” Thus, the mission to send astronauts to the moon was initiated.

At the time of Kennedy’s proposal, the United States was competing with the Soviet Union in space exploration, and since it was during the Cold War, the proposal was warmly received. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, launched the first unmanned Apollo mission after five years of endeavour by an international team of engineers and scientists. The initial mission served as a structural trial phase for the launch spacecraft vehicle.

On July 16, 1969, at 9:32 a.m., the entire globe witnessed the launch of Apollo 11 from Kennedy Space Centre with three astronauts on board. Neil Armstrong was the mission’s commander. After three days, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit on July 19. The lunar module Eagle, manned by Armstrong and Aldrin, separated from the primary command module the following day. Armstrong radioed his historic message to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, upon Eagle’s touchdown on the moon’s surface: “The Eagle has landed.”

Armstrong departed the lunar module and descended its ladder at 10:39 p.m. A television camera affixed to the module was recording his progress and transmitting signals back to Earth, where the entire planet was watching with bated breath.

Armstrong stepped onto the moon’s powdery surface at 10:56 p.m. and uttered the immortal phrase, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

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NATIONAL MOON DAY ACTIVITIES

Visit your local planetarium

Visit your local planetarium if you want to get up close and personal with the moon. These dome-shaped theatres, equipped with enormous telescopes, project images of the night sky filled with countless spectacular objects that we may not be able to see with the unaided eye. A visit to the planetarium inspires us to learn about the universe and, more importantly, our place in it. In addition to being a unique educational experience, visiting a planetarium allows us to learn about astronomy and other related sciences.

Spend time with the local astronomy organisation.

Are you a student with access to a campus astronomy club? If so, don’t miss the chance to discuss the first moon landing or gaze through a telescope with others. A local astronomy club can direct you to upcoming events where like-minded individuals congregate to discuss the celestial bodies of the universe.

Plan to witness the next lunar eclipse.

Prepare for a nighttime performance! Create a calendar reminder for the next lunar eclipse. Plan to bring a picnic basket filled with snacks, a blanket, binoculars, or a telescope to your favourite viewing location, and then go there. Enjoy one of nature’s most spectacular spectacles!

5 SPACEY TIDBITS ABOUT AMERICA’S FIRST LUNAR LANDING

Along with two other black women, the mathematician Katherine Johnson was instrumental in calculating NASA’s routes to the moon for the first lunar mission. In the 2016 film Hidden Figures, director Theodore Melfi and writer Allison Schroeder eventually told their story.

Armstrong believed it was essential to demonstrate the progression of aviation, so he carried a tiny piece of wood from one of the Wright Brothers’ aircrafts.

By the time it landed, the Lunar Module had almost no remaining propellant.

The live lunar landing was viewed by over 600 million people around the globe, shattering all previous television ratings records.

President Nixon had a backup eulogy prepared in the event that the mission failed.

NATIONAL MOON DAY DATES