When is National Moon Day? July 20th is National Moon Day, to commemorate the Apollo 11 landing on the moon — on July 20, 1969.
What is National Moon Day? National Moon Day was established by President Richard Nixon in 1971. By 1975, there were 12 states which had sponsored bills for remembering Moon Day.
Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the moon, proclaimed this event as “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Fun facts about National Moon Day! While Neil Armstrong is often the person most remembered and associated with the Apollo 11 moon landing, there were three men in total. The second was a man named Buzz Aldrin. While Armstrong spend about 2 and half hours on the moon’s surface, Aldrin spend nearly that same amount of time, only lessened by the fact that he touched down second, after Armstrong. The third member’s name was Michael Collins, who is hardly remembered at all. Collins was the pilot and maned the space craft, keeping it in orbit, until the two other men were able to return. Collins is hardly remembered, though he is the man in the background that made way for Armstrong’s landing and subsequent fame.
How to celebrate National Moon Day:
- When’s the last time your visited your local planetarium? Today’s the day!
- Does your school have an astronomy club? That’s as good a place to spend today as any!
- Have you ever looked at the moon through a telescope? Either of the above can help with that! Make sure that happens because it is truly a remarkable site!
What is the hashtag for National Moon Day? Keep tabs on the day by using #nationalmoonday!