National Moon Day

Young child gazing at the night sky in wonder, wearing a space-themed pajama, bedroom with moon and stars decorations.. — National moon day illustration

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind... and an excellent excuse to dig into a tub of astronaut ice cream, National Moon Day orbits around on July 20th each year! This day brings together space enthusiasts, over-the-moon dreamers, and even those of us just looking for a reason to eat ice cream.

When is Moon Day?

It's national moon day on the 20th July.

What's National Moon Day ?

Observed annually on July 20th, National Moon Day celebrates the remarkable achievement of landing the first humans on the moon in 1969. That's right! This isn't just a celebration of our dusty, crater-filled space neighbor - it marks one of the greatest technological feats in human history.

Origins

The Apollo 11 mission, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, lifted off to space from Earth on July 16, 1969, and touched down on the moon's surface on July 20 of that same year. President Richard Nixon declared this day as National Moon Day in 1971, and has since been a day to reflect on human potential and our place in this vast universe.

Celebrating National Moon Day

How to celebrate such a day? Well, there's a universe of possibilities! Attend a local planetarium show, dive into the depths of space documentaries, or hold an intergalactic themed party. And let's not forget the astronaut ice cream - freeze-dried or not, it's a must have!

Social Media Impact

National Moon Day really rocketed onto social media on July 20, 2020, with a whopping 7301 mentions detected in a single day. Clearly, there's no lack of love for our celestial buddy above, or any shortage of ice cream lovers, either!

History behind the term 'Moon'

1610

Discovery through a Telescope

In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei made a groundbreaking discovery when he observed the Moon through a telescope. This marked the beginning of modern lunar observations. Galileo's observations shattered the prevailing belief that the Moon was a perfect, smooth sphere and revealed its rugged, crater-filled surface.

1969

First Human Landing on the Moon

The year 1969 witnessed a monumental event in human history: the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon. This historic moment not only demonstrated humanity's technological capabilities but also marked the first time humans set foot on another celestial body. Armstrong's famous words, 'That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,' echoed around the world.

1994

Clementine: Mapping the Moon

In 1994, NASA launched the Clementine mission, an unmanned spacecraft designed to study the Moon. It carried a suite of sensors and cameras to collect detailed data about the lunar surface. One of its significant achievements was creating the first global topographic map of the Moon, revealing its diverse terrain and elevations.

2009

LCROSS: Water Confirmation

In 2009, NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission provided compelling evidence for the presence of water on the Moon. By crashing a spent rocket stage into the Moon's surface, LCROSS detected water vapor, confirming the long-held hypothesis that water ice exists on the Moon. This discovery has significant implications for future lunar exploration and potential resource utilization.

2024

NASA's Artemis Program

The year 2024 marks an ambitious plan by NASA to return humans to the Moon through the Artemis program. Named after the Greek goddess of the Moon, Artemis aims to land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface. This program not only seeks to continue scientific exploration but also paves the way for future space missions, including preparing for crewed missions to Mars.

Did you know?

Did you know that the footprints left by astronauts on the moon could remain visible for up to a million years? That's due to the moon's lack of atmosphere and weather, which means there's no erosion.