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First Man on the Moon

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For thousands of years, man had looked to the heavens and dreamed of walking on the moon. On July 20, 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong became the very first to accomplish that dream, followed only minutes later by Buzz Aldrin .

Their accomplishment placed the United States ahead of the Soviets in the Space Race and gave people around the world the hope of future space exploration.

Fast Facts: First Moon Landing

Date: July 20, 1969

Mission: Apollo 11

Crew: Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Michael Collins

Becoming the First Person on the Moon

When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the United States was surprised to find themselves behind in the race to space.

Still behind the Soviets four years later, President John F. Kennedy gave inspiration and hope  to the American people in his speech to Congress on May 25, 1961 in which he stated, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

Just eight years later, the United States accomplished this goal by placing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon.

At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969, the Saturn V rocket launched Apollo 11 into the sky from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On the ground, there were over 3,000 journalists, 7,000 dignitaries, and approximately a half million tourists watching this momentous occasion. The event went smoothly and as scheduled.

After one-and-a-half orbits around Earth, the Saturn V thrusters flared once again and the crew had to manage the delicate process of attaching the lunar module (nicknamed Eagle) onto the nose of the joined command and service module (nicknamed Columbia). Once attached, Apollo 11 left the Saturn V rockets behind as they began their three-day journey to the moon, called the translunar coast.

A Difficult Landing

On July 19, at 1:28 p.m. EDT, Apollo 11 entered the moon's orbit. After spending a full day in lunar orbit, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin boarded the lunar module and detached it from the command module for their descent to the moon's surface.

As the Eagle departed, Michael Collins , who remained in the Columbia while Armstrong and Aldrin were on the moon, checked for any visual problems with the lunar module. He saw none and told the Eagle crew, "You cats take it easy on the lunar surface."

As the Eagle headed toward the moon's surface, several different warning alarms were activated. Armstrong and Aldrin realized that the computer system was guiding them to a landing area that was strewn with boulders the size of small cars.

With some last-minute maneuvers, Armstrong guided the lunar module to a safe landing area. At 4:17 p.m. EDT on July 20, 1969, the landing module landed on the moon's surface in the Sea of Tranquility with only seconds of fuel left.

Armstrong reported to the command center in Houston, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Houston responded, "Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again."

Walking on the Moon

After the excitement, exertion, and drama of the lunar landing, Armstrong and Aldrin spent the next six-and-a-half hours resting and then preparing themselves for their moon walk.

At 10:28 p.m. EDT, Armstrong turned on the video cameras. These cameras transmitted images from the moon to over half a billion people on Earth who sat watching their televisions. It was phenomenal that these people were able to witness the amazing events that were unfolding hundreds of thousands of miles above them.

Neil Armstrong was the first person out of the lunar module. He climbed down a ladder and then became the first person to set foot on the moon at 10:56 p.m. EDT. Armstrong then stated, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

A few minutes later, Aldrin exited the lunar module and stepped foot on the moon's surface.

Working on the Surface

Although Armstrong and Aldrin got a chance to admire the tranquil, desolate beauty of the moon's surface, they also had a lot of work to do.

NASA had sent the astronauts with a number of scientific experiments to set up and the men were to collect samples from the area around their landing site. They returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. Armstrong and Aldrin also set up a flag of the United States.

While on the moon, the astronauts received a call from President Richard Nixon . Nixon began by saying, "Hello, Neil and Buzz. I am talking to you by telephone from the Oval Office of the White House. And this certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made. I just can't tell you how proud we are of what you have done."

Time to Leave

After spending 21 hours and 36 minutes upon the moon (including 2 hours and 31 minutes of outside exploration), it was time for Armstrong and Aldrin to leave.

To lighten their load, the two men threw out some excess materials like backpacks, moon boots, urine bags, and a camera. These fell to the moon's surface and were to remain there. Also left behind was a plaque which read, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."

The lunar module blasted off from the moon's surface at 1:54 p.m. EDT on July 21, 1969. Everything went well and the Eagle re-docked with the Columbia. After transferring all of their samples onto the Columbia, the Eagle was set adrift in the moon's orbit.

The Columbia, with all three astronauts back on board, then began their three-day journey back to Earth.

Splash Down

Before the Columbia command module entered the Earth's atmosphere, it separated itself from the service module. When the capsule reached 24,000 feet, three parachutes deployed to slow down the Columbia's descent.

At 12:50 p.m. EDT on July 24, the Columbia safely landed in the Pacific Ocean , southwest of Hawaii. They landed just 13 nautical miles from the U.S.S. Hornet that was scheduled to pick them up.

Once picked up, the three astronauts were immediately placed into quarantine for fears of possible moon germs. Three days after being retrieved, Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins were transferred to a quarantine facility in Houston for further observation.

On August 10, 1969, 17 days after splashdown, the three astronauts were released from quarantine and able to return to their families.

The astronauts were treated like heroes on their return. They were met by President Nixon and given ticker-tape parades. These men had accomplished what men had only dared to dream for thousands of years—to walk on the moon.

• History of the Apollo 11 Mission, "One Giant Leap for Mankind"
• Michael Collins, Astronaut Who Piloted Apollo 11's Command Module
• Biography of Neil Armstrong
• The Space Race of the 1960s
• Apollo 8 Brought 1968 to a Hopeful End
• Neil Armstrong Quotes
• Apollo 14 Mission: Return to the Moon after Apollo 13
• Space First: From Space Dogs to a Tesla
• Did Politics Fuel the Space Race?
• History of the Lunar Rover
• Apollo 13: A Mission in Trouble
• Project Gemini: NASA's Early Steps to Space
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Neil Armstrong

By: History.com Editors

Published: September 26, 2023

On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, arguably the greatest technological achievement in human history. The moon landing made Armstrong famous, but the Navy pilot from Ohio was never comfortable with the spotlight. Right up until his death in 2012, Armstrong deflected praise for his role in the historic Apollo 11 mission , echoing his famous words as he first stepped onto the lunar surface: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Early Life and Korean War

Neil Armstrong always wanted to fly. He was born on August 5, 1930 near Wapakoneta, Ohio, less than 60 miles from the Wright brothers’ workshop in Dayton. In 1936, when he was six years old, young Neil rode in his first airplane, a “Tin Goose” Ford tri-motor passenger plane. He was hooked. At 16, Armstrong earned his student pilot’s license, even before he had a driver’s license.

In 1947, Armstrong attended Purdue University on a Naval scholarship, studying aeronautical engineering. As part of his scholarship, the Navy trained Armstrong as a fighter pilot in Florida. His college studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the Korean War , where Armstrong flew 78 combat missions. His aircraft, the F-9F Panther jet, was one of the first jet fighters to launch from a carrier. 

NASA Test Pilot

After finishing college, Armstrong went to work for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. The mild-mannered kid from Ohio made his name as one of the most daring and skilled test pilots at NASA’s Flight Research Center (now the Armstrong Flight Research Center) at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

During seven years as a test pilot, Armstrong flew 200 different aircraft that pushed the limits of speed and altitude, including the legendary X-15. High over the California desert, Armstrong reached speeds of more than 4,000 mph and took the needle-nosed X-15 to the edge of space. Armstrong’s steady hand as a test pilot was instrumental to the success of NASA’s first Mercury astronauts . Soon he’d become one of them.

The Gemini Program

1962 was a year of joy and heartache for the Armstrong family. Neil was chosen for NASA’s astronaut training program in Houston, but he and his wife Janet also lost their second child, a two-year-old daughter named Karen, to an inoperable brain tumor.

Armstrong buried himself in his work preparing for the Gemini program, NASA’s next step toward reaching the moon. In 1966, Armstrong was chosen as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission, the first time that NASA astronauts would attempt to connect two spacecraft in orbit, a difficult and dangerous maneuver known as “rendezvous and docking.”

In March, 1966, Armstrong and his copilot David Scott rocketed into orbit and successfully docked with the target spacecraft Agena, but things quickly went awry. A thruster on the Gemini 8 capsule malfunctioned and the two interlocked spacecraft began to veer off course. To avoid burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere, Armstrong detached from the Agena, but the release of the Agena’s weight sent the Gemini capsule into an uncontrolled spin.

The G-forces created by the end-over-end spin were crushing and both astronauts were on the verge of losing consciousness when Armstrong activated a set of secondary thrusters and wrestled the Gemini capsule back under control. There’s no doubt that Armstrong’s test pilot nerves saved both astronauts’ lives.

The Moon Landing

Armstrong was selected for the Apollo program, the final push to the moon, but he almost never made it back to space. On May 6, 1968, Armstrong was in Houston conducting his 22nd test flight of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle, an ungainly practice aircraft. Without warning, the LLRV veered out of control. Armstrong ejected and parachuted to safety, seconds before the LLRV crashed in a fiery explosion.

Undaunted, Armstrong continued his training and was chosen by NASA as the spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the mission to land the first men on the moon. His crewmates were Michael Collins , pilot of the command module that orbited the moon, and Buzz Aldrin , the lunar module pilot. Aldrin lobbied hard to be the first to step on the lunar surface, but the NASA brass chose Armstrong for his calm confidence and total lack of ego.

Those trademark nerves were on display on July 20, 1969 as Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module toward the surface of the moon. With fuel running dangerously low, Armstrong switched to manual control to steer the fragile spacecraft away from a field of “Volkswagen”-sized boulders and land the astronauts safely in the silty lunar soil.

As millions watched the live broadcast on their televisions, the shy pilot from Ohio descended the ladder of the Lunar Module and uttered his now-famous words: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Because of the static-filled connection, the “a” was inaudible, but Armstrong insisted that he said it.

Life After the Moon Landing

Overnight, Armstrong became the most famous man alive. Four million spectators lined the streets of New York City to welcome home Armstrong and his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts in a ticker-tape parade. But Armstrong wasn’t in it for the fame and accolades. He quietly went back to a desk job at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., then earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California in 1970.

Armstrong retired from NASA in 1971 and took a job as an engineering professor at the University of Cincinnati in his home state of Ohio. In 1986, he joined the Rogers Commission investigating the tragic Challenger shuttle explosion . Later, Armstrong served on a number of corporate boards in the aerospace industry and testified before Congress about the importance of maintaining a manned space program.  

In 2005, Armstrong consented to a rare television interview on 60 Minutes , in which he was asked directly if he was uncomfortable with the fame of being the first man on the moon. “No, I just don’t deserve it,” replied Armstrong, smiling. “Circumstance put me into that particular role. That wasn’t planned by anyone.”

In 2012, Armstrong went in for heart bypass surgery and the 82-year-old astronaut died of complications.

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Apollo 11: First Men on the Moon

Reference Article

The historic launch of the Apollo 11 mission carried three astronauts toward the moon. Two of them would set foot on the lunar surface for the first time in human history as millions of people around the world followed their steps on television.

The astronauts

The crew of Apollo 11 were all experienced astronauts who had been to space before.

Cmdr.  Neil Armstrong had piloted Gemini 8; that mission was the first time two vehicles docked in space. Born Aug. 5, 1930, in Ohio, Armstrong was 38 when he became the first civilian to command two American space missions.

Col. Edwin Eugene  "Buzz" Aldrin , 39, was the first astronaut with a doctorate to fly in space. Born Jan. 20, 1930, in New Jersey, Aldrin piloted Gemini 12 in November 1966, and performed a 140-minute walk in space to demonstrate that an astronaut could work efficiently outside the vehicle. For Apollo 11, he served as the lunar module pilot.

The command module pilot, Lt. Col. Michael Collins, 38, was born in Italy on Oct. 31, 1930. Collins piloted Gemini 10 in July 1966, and spent almost 1.5 hours outside the craft on a spacewalk. 

From Earth to the moon

Mission planners at NASA studied the lunar surface for two years, searching for the best place to make the historic landing. They examined the best high-resolution photographs available at the time, from the Lunar Orbiter and Surveyor programs, and considered the number of craters and boulders, cliffs and hills at each prospective landing site, and how easy it would be for the astronauts to land given their fuel and time requirements. This helped the planners narrow down the initial 30 site candidates to three.

Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:32 a.m. Eastern time on July 16, 1969. While in flight, the crew made two televised broadcasts from the interior of the ship, and a third transmission as they drew closer to the moon, revealing the lunar surface and the intended approach path. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module, nicknamed the "Eagle" and separated from the  Command Service Module  — the "Columbia" — and headed toward the lunar surface.

The lunar module touched down on the moon's  Sea of Tranquility , a large basaltic region, at 4:17 p.m. Eastern time. Armstrong notified Houston with the historic words, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." 

For the first 2 hours on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin remained in the module and checked all of the systems, configured the craft for its stay on the moon and had a bite to eat. In consultation with NASA, they decided to skip their scheduled 4-hour rest and opted to go outside and explore the moon's surface instead.

A video camera installed in a panel inside the Eagle provided live coverage as Armstrong descended a ladder at 11:56 p.m. on July 20, 1969, and uttered the words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." 

Aldrin followed 20 minutes later, with Armstrong taking images of his descent. Armstrong had the responsibility to document the landing, so most of the images taken from the Apollo 11 mission were of Aldrin. [ NASA's Historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing in Pictures ]

While on the surface, the astronauts set up several experiments, collected samples of lunar soil and rock to bring home, erected a United States flag and took core samples from the crust. They spoke with U.S. President Richard Nixon, whose voice was transmitted from the White House, and placed a plaque on the ground that stated:

HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON JULY 1969, A.D. WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND

The astronauts also laid down memorial medallions with the names of several astronauts and cosmonauts who had perished in flight and in training (including the Apollo 11 crew and the first person in space, Yuri Gagarin ). They also left a 1.5-inch silicon disk with goodwill messages from 73 countries, and the names of congressional and NASA leaders.

Armstrong spent a little over 2.5 hours outside the Eagle. The astronauts traveled a total distance of about 3,300 feet (1 kilometer) as they walked around, traveling as far as 200 feet (60 meters) from the module to visit a large crater. They collected 47.51 lbs. (21.55 kilograms) of samples from the moon, and reported that mobility on the moon was easier than anticipated.

At 1:54 p.m., having spent a total of 21.5 hours on the  moon , the lunar module blasted back to where Collins waited in the Columbia. The two vehicles docked, and the crew and samples transferred to the Columbia before the Eagle was jettisoned into space. The astronauts then headed back home.

The team splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:50 p.m. Eastern time on July 24, only a few miles from the recovery ship, the U.S.S. Hornet. After donning biological isolation garments (on the off-chance that the astronauts carried back any harmful microbes from the moon), the crew left the Columbia and climbed into a rubber boat, where they were rubbed down with iodine in an effort to minimize potential contamination. They then traveled by helicopter to a Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the ship before being taken to Houston where they remained in quarantine until Aug. 10. The men had completed the national goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, to perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.

Apollo 11's legacy

The Apollo 11 mission remains widely celebrated as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2019. The U.S. Mint  prepared special coins for the celebration . 

The Smithsonian Institution is remodeling its moon gallery at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C., for a 2021 opening. Meanwhile, the  newly restored Columbia spacecraft is on tour  with stops in Houston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Seattle. It's the first time Columbia has been outside the Smithsonian since 1971.

In July 2009, the National Air and Space Museum hosted a gala for Apollo 11's 40th anniversary,  which included speeches by the three crewmembers of Apollo 11. At an afternoon session in which Collins, Aldrin and Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean offered to sign autographs, the line of space enthusiasts and admirers quickly stretched across the length of the museum's floor. Collins and Aldrin still regularly make appearances for Apollo-related activities, despite both being in their late 80s.

Armstrong, 82, died on Aug. 25, 2012, from complications following cardiovascular procedures. A  public memorial service was held Sept. 13 at Washington National Cathedral , and Armstrong was  buried at sea the next day . In 2015, NASA announced that Armstrong's widow,Carol Armstrong, had found a  bag full of lunar artifacts  among Armstrong's belongings, which she donated to the museum.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter  imaged the Apollo 11 landing site from space  in 2012 and spotted the astronauts' tracks, some of the experiments, a discarded camera and the descent stage of the Eagle lunar module. A  3D view of the site  based on the images from the orbiter was generated in 2014.

A lunar sample bag from Apollo 11 generated a legal dispute after it was accidentally sold at a Texas auction in 2015, held on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service. An Illinois woman, Nancy Carlson, bought the bag for $995. The U.S. government petitioned the courts to return the lunar sample bag to NASA and undo the sale, but  Carlson was ruled the legal owner in 2016 . Originally, the bag was confiscated from Max Ary, a former curator convicted in 2006 of stealing and selling space artifacts that belonged to the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas.

In anticipation of Apollo 11's 50th anniversary in July 2019, Universal Pictures released "First Man," a movie based on Armstrong's training journey to become the first man on the moon. And a new documentary about Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller, premiered in March 2019. Additionally, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., has a number of special events and exhibits planned to celebrate Apollo 11's anniversary .

Additional resources:  

• Learn more at NASA's Apollo 11 mission overview page .
• Find images, video and podcasts about Apollo 11 on NASA's Apollo 11 mission page .
• Check out the Apollo 11 Image Gallery from the NASA history office.

This article was updated on May 9, 2019 by Space.com contributor Elizabeth Howell. 

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Nola Taylor Tillman is a contributing writer for Space.com. She loves all things space and astronomy-related, and enjoys the opportunity to learn more. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Astrophysics from Agnes Scott college and served as an intern at Sky & Telescope magazine. In her free time, she homeschools her four children. Follow her on Twitter at @NolaTRedd

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As we approach the 50th anniversary of humankind’s first steps on the Moon, our ability to reflect on those events is thanks in part to how the moment was shared with people around the world. The Apollo 11 mission was not the first time television signals returned from the orbit of the Moon, but the landing in July 1969 was by far the most important to get just right. From 240,000 miles away, millions of people around the world needed to see this incredible moment, and that was just one of the challenges of sharing the experience.

Based on the rotation of the Earth and position of the Moon at the time of the expected first steps, Houston, Texas, the home of NASA’s mission control, would be out of range for reception of the television signal sent from the lunar module. Instead, receiving stations in California and Australia would coordinate on providing the best transmission possible. On top of that, issues of temperature, size, weight, power use, and light availability complicated the real-world operation of a television broadcast from our natural satellite. And sharing this moment with the world through television was a priority, as magazine and newspaper subscriptions were on the decline and televisions were in 95% of homes in the United States. Despite the challenges, the broadcast was, of course, a major success, with over 500 million viewers globally, which was actually only 14% of the world’s population at the time of 3.5 billion. Inside the U.S., 53 million households or 125 million viewers (63% of the population) participated in what is still the most watched television moment in this country’s history.

The Apollo 11 mission was not the first time television signals returned from the orbit of the Moon, but the landing in July 1969 was by far the most important to get just right.

How exactly did NASA develop and utilize technology of the time to facilitate such a moment? As with all components of the space program, NASA sought out technologies that would work reliably under the difficult circumstances of space travel. On the advice of the military, they contracted with Westinghouse to develop a small black and white camera for $2.29 million that could condense the capabilities of a large television studio camera into a lightweight and manageable camera. The company had recently developed advances in low light camera technology, something NASA knew benefitted them because of the complicated lighting in space and on the Moon. Challenges also included finding high quality lenses and the conversion of the signal to the U.S.-standard NTSC format. While they found lenses quickly, their unconventional solution for the signal format sounds unusual now: Engineers simply displayed the slow scan signal on a monitor and used a properly formatted camera to film the scene on the monitor.

The Westinghouse camera was stored for flight in the lunar module’s Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA), a compartment near the ladder that Armstrong climbed down to reach the Moon’s surface. To activate the camera, he pulled on a handle that in turn released the door to the MESA. Engineers attached the camera upside down to secure it to the door, and tilted at an 11-degree angle because of how the door rested in its final position. Both issues were overcome in retransmission of the signal back on Earth.

Anyone watching the original broadcast, on either July 20, 1969, or today, knows that it looks very fuzzy. Circumstances were working against NASA from the start. The distance the signal needed to travel, the conversions and retransmissions required to reach televisions in homes, meant a reduction in the quality of the picture, resulting in reduced resolution and a mismatch in the signal layers. That is why sometimes the astronauts appear more like translucent ghosts than people.

Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong climbs down the ladder of the lunar module Eagle to take the first steps on the lunar surface.

So what did viewers see in their homes, at community gatherings, offices, and millions of other locations? The best signals were received at Australian receiving stations at Honeysuckle Creek and the Parkes Observatory, as well as Goldstone in California. NASA used the Goldstone signal initially, though the contrast was far too high and they switched to the Honeysuckle signal, which had better detail just before Armstrong’s first steps. In the minutes after the steps, they ultimately broadcast the signal received at Parkes, a story told humorously in the 2000 film The Dish. Once received, however, the signal needed to travel from the stations either straight to Houston from California or via satellite from Australia. In Australia, however, the broadcast was sent directly and not through Houston. As a result, it was seen there .3 seconds sooner than in the rest of the world.

Later Apollo missions used better cameras, usually color ones, but none of those ever achieved the same level of attention as Apollo 11. For us today, we can thank technicians for having recorded the broadcast, though the tapes assumed to be of the highest quality were never located despite searches for them in the last few decades. What we see now on YouTube or in films are high definition scans of those best available copies. So while those of us who did not witness Armstrong’s steps firsthand cannot relate our own stories about that shared cultural experience, we can continue to share in the memory thanks to the technological choices made in the late 1960s to bring that moment back to Earth.

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The Moon Landing

The historic event captivated the world—and helped people look to the future.

On July 20, 1969, millions of people gathered around their televisions to watch two U.S. astronauts do something no one had ever done before. Wearing bulky space suits and backpacks of oxygen to breathe, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first human beings to walk on the moon .

After the two stepped onto the lunar surface, Armstrong proclaimed these famous words: “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Humans were only able to make that small step after several other space firsts happened. In 1957 the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into space by Russia . The United States launched several satellites of their own afterward. Both countries hoped to be the first to send a human into space.

It wasn’t until 1961 that a person went to space: On April 12, Russia’s Yuri Gagarin became the first. Less than a month later the United States’ Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Following these milestones, President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to put a human on the moon in 10 years or less.

NASA went to work. On July 16, 1969, the spacecraft Apollo 11 prepared to launch a crew of three astronauts into space … and the history books.

NASA officials selected Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins as the astronauts who would make the historic trip from Earth on Apollo 11. Just four days after launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida , the spacecraft neared the moon’s surface.

Before touching down, the three men split up. Collins boarded Apollo 11’s command module, the Columbia, where he would remain in orbit around the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin boarded Apollo 11’s lunar module, the Eagle, and began to descend to the moon’s surface.

The Eagle made a risky landing in a shallow moon crater named the Sea of Tranquility. (Most people watching the landing on TV didn’t know that the Eagle had only 20 seconds of landing fuel left at this point.) Armstrong and Aldrin looked out the windows of the module at the lifeless and barren lunar landscape.

After six and a half hours pass, the pair inside the Eagle prepared to exit the module. As mission commander, Armstrong stepped out first … and became the first person on the moon.

Twenty minutes later, Aldrin climbed down the ladder and joined his partner. After reading a plaque that said they “came in peace for all mankind,” the two planted the United States’ flag on the surface. President Richard Nixon called to congratulate the astronauts.

Armstrong and Aldrin went back to work collecting samples of moon rocks and dust. After over two hours, the astronauts brought 47 pounds back onto the lunar module and prepared to rejoin Collins. It was time to go home.

DOWN TO EARTH

The Apollo 11 crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Over the next several years, 10 astronauts would follow in Armstrong and Aldrin’s footsteps. The last mission to the moon was in 1972.

Though humans haven’t returned to the moon since, they have continued to explore space . They even built the International Space Station (ISS), a space research station, where they can conduct experiments and study space up close.

Today NASA is working on sending humans to another planet : Mars . Thanks to the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA is hopeful about its chances. The act of putting three people on the moon—and then safely bringing them back home—proved that successful human exploration in space is possible.

Text adapted from Ladders Earth Science: Exploring Above and Beyond by Stephanie Harvey and Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond  by   David A. Aguilar and Patricia Daniels

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Who was the first person on the moon? Here's everything you need to know about Neil Armstrong

This weekend marks 50 years since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission - here's what you need to know about the American astronaut

• 17:33, 16 JUL 2019

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Today marks the pivotal moment the Apollo 11 mission blasted off from Earth 50 years ago to land on the moon just four days later.

This monumental move put astronaut Neil Armstrong firmly on the map in history as he became the first person to ever walk on the moon.

On Saturday, July 20, events will take place across the world to commemorate the team who took part in NASA's pioneering 225,623-mile journey.

On the mission, Armstrong was joined by American astronaut Michael Collins and lunar module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin - who was the second pilot to walk on the surface, just 20 minutes after Armstrong.

With lots of talk about the Apollo 11's 50th anniversary, let's get to know the main man himself. Here's everything you need to know about Neil Armstrong.

When was Neil Armstrong born?

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5 in 1930.

How did his career start?

He studied aeronautical engineering at university, with his tuition paid for by the U.S Navy under the Holloway Plan.

Armstrong went on to join the Navy, as first a midshipman then a naval aviator. He partook in the Korean War, flying one of the US Navy's first successful carrier-based fighter jets - the Grumman F9F Panther.

Post war, Armstrong completed a bachelor's degree to become a test pilot at NASA's high speed flight station in California. He was selected as an astronaut in 1962.

He fulfilled various roles within the space agency before making his first spaceflight as a command pilot in March 1966, becoming NASA's first civilian astronaut to fly in space.

Three years later he embarked on the historic Apollo 11 mission as commander.

What were his first words on the moon?

The iconic words that still ring in people's ears today after all of those years:

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

When did he resign?

Armstrong resigned from NASA in 1971 and began to teach in the department for Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati up until 1979.

He then served on the Apollo 13 accident investigation - this was the seventh crewed mission in the space programme, which was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days after launching.

What was his family-life like?

Armstrong met his first wife Janet Elizabeth Shearon whilst at university.

The couple married in January 1956, but separated in 1990.

They had three children together - Eric, Karen and Mark. Sadly daughter Karen was diagnosed with a brain tumour and died of pneumonia in 1962 at the age of just two.

Armstrong met his second wife Carol Held Knight in 1992 and were married by 1994.

When did Armstrong die?

Armstrong died on August 25, 2012, aged 82.

He underwent a heart bypass operation and died a few weeks later from complications resulting from the procedure.

Shortly after his death, his family released a statement: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

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10 Facts About the First Moon Landing

Eleftheria Christou

14 jan 2021.

It has been over 50 years since Apollo 11 landed men on the Moon for the first time in a mission that defined an era. The landings ushered in a unprecedented period of technological advancement and succeeded in cementing the technological prowess of the USA.

An event with monumental international significance, Neil Armstrong’s first tentative steps on the Moon on 20 July 1969 would go on to inspire generations, his observation at the time still ringing true.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”

1. It took the men over 4 days to reach the Moon

The Apollo 11 Saturn V lifted off from the Kennedy Space centre at 09:36 on 16 July 1969 carrying three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin. The journey to the Moon would last 4 days, 6 hours and 45 minutes, finally landing on 20 July 1969.

The Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.

2. The astronauts encountered some problems before landing

The journey to the Moon was not all plain sailing though. Before landing, a series of alarm messages sounded that none of the astronauts had previously heard.

The alarms were caused by ‘executive overflows’ as a result of the guidance computer not being able to complete all of its tasks and having to postpone some of them. After checking the alarm, computer technicians on the ground reassured the crew that is was safe to land.

However, that was not to be the last of the problems the crew would face. Radio communication loss between the lunar module and mission control meant the mission was close to being aborted. Despite Aldrin adjusting the antenna and ground control attempting to resolve the issue, radio communications continued to fade in and out.

Eagle (lunar module) in lunar orbit, photographed from Columbia (command module).

3. The astronauts did not land at their planned site

No sooner than one problem was resolved, another reared its head. Due to the gravity of the Moon and some extra speed gained, Armstrong and Aldrin had missed the landing site by about 4 miles and were instead faced an unfriendly sight of rough terrain and lorry-sized craters. Armstrong had to find a smooth spot to land, and fast…

A photograph of Armstrong taken by Aldrin. This is one of the few photographs of Armstrong on the lunar surface; most of the time he had the camera.

4. Armstrong had 60 seconds to land the lunar module

Dwindling fuel supplies (just 5% fuel remaining) meant that Armstrong would have a mere 60 seconds to land the lunar module before having to abort the mission, a hard task made worse by the unplanned detour. Armstrong later recalled:

“We heard the call of 60 seconds, and a low-level light came on. That, I’m sure, caused concern in the control centre…They probably normally expected us to land with about two minutes of fuel left. And here we were, still a hundred feet [30 m] above the surface, at 60 seconds.”

Luckily, Armstrong was able to land with only seconds left to spare.

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, stands on the surface of the Moon. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, mission commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera.

5. Buzz Aldrin took communion on the Moon

Upon landing on the Moon, Aldrin gave thanks for his safety by taking communion. At the time NASA was embroiled in a lawsuit with prominent activist and atheist Madelyn Murray O’Hair. O’Hair objected to the broadcasting of a reading from the Book of Genesis by the Apollo 8 crew. Because of this Aldrin took communion privately, away from the cameras. His communion kit was prepared by the Pastor of his Presbyterian church, who still have the chalice used on the Moon.

Aldrin salutes the United States flag on the lunar surface.

6. The module remained on the Moon’s surface for 21 hours and 36 minutes

Armstrong was the first man to step onto the Moon, followed 20 minutes later by Aldrin. Of the 21 hours and 36 minutes spent on the Moons surface, Armstrong and Aldrin spent 2.5 hours outside the module collecting data, setting up experiments and taking pictures.

They also erected an American flag, a task that proved more difficult than expected as they struggled to jam the pole into the Moons hard surface. Although they managed to plant the pole about 18cm deep, Aldrin stated that the flag was later knocked over by engine exhaust as Apollo 11 lifted off.

Images taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2012 showed that at least 5 of the 6 American Flags raised during Apollo missions were still standing. However, scientists think decades’ worth of sunlight have bleached away their colors.

Whilst his co-pilots explored the Moon, Michael Collins was alone in orbit for more than 21 hours, piloting the command module. For 48 minutes of each orbit of the moon, he was out of radio contact with Earth.

Aldrin next to the Passive Seismic Experiment Package with the Eagle in the background.

7. The astronauts splashed down to Earth

On 24 July 1969, the Saturn V splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, 44 hours after leaving lunar orbit.

The craft and its crew were recovered by air craft carrier USS Hornet.  Divers then attached an anchor to the craft and passed biological isolation suits to the astronauts before assisting them into a life craft.

Due to the risk of pathological contamination, precautions were taken at every stage of the recovery and the astronauts were kept quarantined for 21 days. This practice continued for two more missions before being deemed unnecessary.

The crew of Apollo 11 in quarantine after returning to Earth, visited by Richard Nixon.

8. An estimated 650 million people tuned in to watch the event on television world wide

An estimated 650 million people watched Armstrong and Aldrin become the first men on the Moon, bearing witness to a historic event that will be remembered for years to come.

From the lunar module on the Moon, Aldrin reflected on the enormity of the occasion:

“This is the [lunar module] pilot. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.”

In a tumultuous America, torn by racial division, having witnessed the assassination of their president and weary from years of Cold War tension, the Moon landing helped boost national pride .

Ticker tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts, in Manhattan, New York City on 13 August 1969. Pictured in the lead car, from the right, are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.

9. A total of 6 US Missions have landed men on the Moon

In total, 12 men have walked on the Moon in 6 NASA missions. These missions ran over a three year period ending in 1972. Since 1972 no other crewed mission has landed on the Moon, this is largely due to the huge costs involved. The whole Apollo programme cost an estimated $25.4 billion (about $156 billion in 2019 dollars).

China, India, Japan, Russia and the European Space Agency have all either sent probes or landed vehicles on the Moon. However the USA remains the only country to have ever put man on the Moon, demonstrating their world power status.

10. Conspiracy Theorists still insist the Moon landings were faked

Among the anti-vaxxers, 9/11 theorists and Flat Earthers are another group. Those who claim the Moon landings were faked.

The conspiracy theory was first started by Bill Kaysing who in 1979 self-published a pamphlet entitled ‘We Never Went to the Moon: America’s 30 Billion Dollar Swindle’.

The claims soon gained traction, despite hard evidence to the contrary including geological evidence recovered from the Moon and images from reconnaissance aircraft orbiting the earth showing motor tracks and footprints left on the surface of the Moon.

In the age of the internet, where information can be shared at the click of a button, this alternative history has continued to cast doubt in the minds of many. A 2012 YouGov study revealed 1 in 6 Britons believe the Moon landings were staged or faked.

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Ariana Duckett

Copy Editor & Senior Staff Writer

The SpaceX rocket launch on Feb. 15 isn’t the first non-government company to launch a spacecraft out of Earth’s atmosphere, but it was the first to land on the moon since 1972 . The ground-breaking take-off could even be heard on campus and in the surrounding Santa Barbara County.

The Odysseus touched the surface of the moon on Feb. 22 . It had been aboard a SpaceX rocket, built by Intuitive Machines Inc., a Texas-based space exploration company founded in 2013. The company worked closely with NASA to secure funding — $77 million — as well as through their Lunar Payload Delivery Services, which NASA paid an additional $118 million to have equipment of their choosing delivered to the moon for them. Tools included a specialized laser, radio, camera, navigation technology and a propellant tank.

The Odysseus had a rocky start with malfunctioning equipment on board, requiring the use of NASA-provided tools that were, according to The New York Times , “intended to be experimental, not operational but … a very handy backup.” During that time, The Odysseus made an extra orbit around the moon, lasting for two hours while technicians worked to solve the issue. The moon lander also touched the ground sideways, causing additional concern of its success due to its solar powers that required but did not receive direct sunlight to operate.

Intuitive Machine’s website features daily updates of the spacecraft’s journey — they refer to the moon lander as the Odie. They published the first photos of Earth from The Odysseus on Feb. 16, as well as a fisheye-lens-esque image of the moon to confirm it was close to reaching the ground on Feb. 21. Its landing site was also further south than any other spacecraft landing, on a crater named Malapert A, and allowed the Odysseus to transmit images of the moon’s south pole region. Sculptures by artist Jeff Koons made the trip to the moon as well, including a box of 125 miniature steel models of the moon. His sculptures have now become the first permitted pieces of artwork on the moon. He also made larger models of the moon sculptures for collectors, as well as an NFT that, according to The New York Times , shows “the installation of the lunar landing.”

No updates have been released from Intuitive Machines’s website since Feb. 29, when they reported that the Odysseus’s “power was depleted.” The spacecraft has been put on a planned shutdown mode, during which the sun’s light will be unable to power its solar panels. In several weeks, the machine could receive enough power to power on, but due to the tilt of the solar panels, and the moon’s lowest temperatures reaching around -250 degrees Fahrenheit, chances of survival are unknown.

A final image from the moon lander was transmitted to flight controllers on Feb. 29, though it had been taken Feb. 22, which depicts a desolate, gray moonscape with our glowing Earth in the distance.

After paving the way for commercial space exploration, Intuitive Machines has since reported that the spacecraft does not have enough power to fly home, but that that was not the purpose of the mission anyway. Rather, breaking new grounds and collecting any and all available data was the main focus. On Apr. 2, according to the company’s website, NASA has awarded them “$30 million as a prime contractor to complete a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services Feasibility Assessment.” The funding will allow for a future project to build and bring a Lunar Terrain Vehicle on the moon. NASA’s faith in Intuitive Machines following their successful mission marks a turning point in non-governmental space exploration and confirms its feasibility.

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Japanese astronaut to be first non-American to set foot on moon

by Lucie AUBOURG

A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the moon during one of NASA's upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.

The offer to Japan—an opportunity many nations have long dreamed of—came as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit, and as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with its key Asian ally.

"Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the moon," Biden said in a press conference with Kishida.

Kishida hailed the announcement as a "huge achievement" and announced that Japan would in return supply a rover for the program.

NASA's Artemis program seeks to return humans to the moon for the first time in over 50 years, and to build a sustained lunar presence ahead of potential missions to Mars.

Between 1969 and 1972, the US Apollo program saw 12 Americans—all white men—walk on the moon.

NASA previously announced that the Artemis program would see the first woman and the first person of color land on the moon.

"America will no longer walk on the moon alone," NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a video published on social media .

"Diplomacy is good for discovery. And discovery is good for diplomacy," he added.

The first mission to take astronauts to the lunar surface , Artemis 3, is planned for 2026. China meanwhile has said it seeks to put humans on the moon by 2030.

Japan's space agency JAXA is "extremely happy" about the announcement, a spokesman told AFP.

"We will do our best to implement the agreement," including developing the rover for the program, he said.

Japan-US cooperation

Tokyo and Washington have worked together in the space sector for years, notably collaborating on operations at the International Space Station (ISS).

And this year, Japan became the fifth country to succeed in landing a spacecraft on the moon, with its SLIM craft touching down in January.

In a joint media release, the United States and Japan clarified that a Japanese national would land on the moon "assuming important benchmarks are achieved," without clarifying further.

The lunar rover provided by Japan in return will be pressurized, meaning astronauts can travel farther and work for longer periods on the lunar surface, according to the statement.

It added that the pressurized rover will accommodate two astronauts in the "mobile habitat and laboratory" for up to 30 days as they explore the area near the lunar South Pole.

NASA currently plans to use the rover on the future Artemis 7 mission, followed by subsequent missions over a 10-year lifespan.

European contribution

The European Space Agency (ESA) has three seats reserved for future Artemis missions in exchange for technological contributions to the program.

However, it is still unclear whether European astronauts will have the chance to step foot on the moon or just fly around it.

Daniel Neuenschwander, director of human and robotic exploration at the ESA, said these details of the agreement with NASA were still "subject to further discussions."

Neuenschwander added in a phone interview with AFP on Wednesday that he could "perfectly understand" the cooperation between the United States and Japan, acknowledging "geostrategic" motives for the agreement.

The Artemis space program was inaugurated in 2022 with Artemis 1, which successfully flew an uncrewed vessel around the moon.

Artemis 2 is planned for 2025 and will send four astronauts around the moon without landing. The crew will consist of three Americans and a Canadian, who are currently in training.

The first crewed landing on the moon will be Artemis 3, currently scheduled for 2026. NASA has not yet announced who will take part in the mission .

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Watch CBS News

When and where you can see April's Pink Moon

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 22, 2024 / 4:39 PM EDT / CBS News

Astronomy fans can check out the Pink Moon this month as April's full moon rises.

April's full moon will reach peak illumination at 7:49 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, but it will appear full from Monday through Thursday morning, according to NASA . The Old Farmer's Almanac details specific moonrise times for different ZIP codes across the U.S. 

Why is April's full moon known as the Pink Moon?

Full moon names often come from seasons, historical crops and the behavior of certain animals. The "Pink Moon" moniker unfortunately has nothing to do with the moon's color, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Instead, it's connected to the early springtime bloom of certain wildflowers, including one native to eastern North America often called "moss pink."

April's full moon goes by several other names, too, including Breaking Ice Moon, Moon When the Streams are Again Navigable, Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing. It also has several names connected to animals, including Moon When the Ducks Come Back, Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs, Frog Moon and Sucker Moon.

NASA notes it's also the Pesach or Passover Moon — the Jewish holiday begins this year on Monday evening. This full moon also corresponds with the Hanuman Jayanti festival on the Hindu lunisolar calendar in most regions, according to the space agency. 

Look up — what else can you see in the sky this spring?

The Eta Aquariids meteor shower is estimated to peak Saturday, May 4 through Sunday, May 5. And May's full moon, the Flower Moon, reaches peak illumination on May 23. 

In case you missed it,  the Lyrid meteor shower  peaked late Sunday night, between April 21 and 22.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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April's full pink moon rises Tuesday, April 23, as a sign of spring and looming summer heat

There is magic in the sky each month when the full moon rises, marking the alignment of the sun, Earth and our planet's only natural satellite. It's an ancient indicator of time, and one that Native American tribes recognized as a signal of the changing seasons. They gave the moons names to mark the occasions, and while sky-gazers have variations on why moons garner certain monikers, most can agree on the ethereal appeal of the quiet lunar performance each month.

April's full moon is dubbed the pink moon because it corresponds with the first springtime blooms of the creeping phlox plant or moss phlox, which has a flower with a lavender to rose-colored hue.

It rises Tuesday, April 23, in West Palm Beach at 7:46 p.m. following a cool front that should sweep the skies of clouds, providing a clear stage for its debut over the horizon.

Best way to see April's full moon in Palm Beach County

This month's full moon rises just below the bright star Spica. While the full moon may block the light from Spica, EarthSky.org recommends standing so that a building or large tree can block much of the moon's brightness so that Spica can sparkle.

How the town of Jupiter got its name: Is Jupiter, Fla. really named after the planet Jupiter?

The April full moon has many other names given to it by people celebrating the arrival of warmer weather after winter challenges. It is also known as the "breaking ice moon", the "budding moon", and the "growing moon," according to TimeandDate.com .

Here are explanations for the names of all full moons:

Wolf moon, january.

January is dark and cold, giving over its evenings to wolves who howl and hunt amid the deep snowpack of midwinter. It has other names, according to a compilation by Western Washington University , including the Maker Moon , Great Spirits Moon , and from the Arapaho tribe of the Great Plains, the moon when snow blows like spirits in the wind.

Snow Moon, February

February was a time when food stores may have been running low and hunting in the snow was difficult. For the Arapaho, February was the moon of frost sparkling in the sun. The Assiniboine in the Northern Plains called it the Long Dry Moon .

Worm Moon (or Crow Moon), March

This is a time when the land softens, the earthworms reappear and the robins return. Basically, it signals the end of winter. It was also called the Crow Moon by northern tribes, and the moon of buffalo dropping their calves by the Arapaho of the Great Plains.

Pink Moon, April

In April, the groundcover phlox would appear with pink flowers signaling spring. It was also called the Full Sprouting Grass Moon , and the Full Fish Moon , which was a nod by some coastal tribes to shad coming upstream to spawn. Sometimes this is the first full moon after the spring equinox, marking it as the Paschal Full Moon . The Paschal Full Moon, which sometimes occurs in March, determines what date Easter falls on.

Flower Moon, May

Flowers become more abundant in May, but May's moon is also called the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon . In the Northern Plains, it was given the name the Idle Moon . The Cherokee of the East Coast called it the Planting Moon .

Strawberry Moon, June

June is the time to pick strawberries. It is also a time when the corn is not yet ripe, giving June the name the Green Corn Moon or the Full Leaf Moon . The Arapaho of the Great Plains dubbed this moon the moon when the buffalo bellows.

Buck Moon, July

In July, deer begin to grow their new antlers. The Apache of the Southern Plains called July the moon of the horse/time of ripeness.

Sturgeon Moon, August

Fishing is robust in August in many areas around the Great Lakes. The Anishnaabe of the Great Lakes also called this the Berry Moon , while their neighbors to the northeast, the Algonquin, said the August moon is when Indian corn is edible.

Harvest Moon, September

According to Space.com, the Harvest Moon traditionally is the moon closest to the fall equinox, which is usually Sept. 22 or 23. Fall vegetables including corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice are ready to harvest. The Arapaho of the Great Plains call September the Drying Grass Moon .

Hunter's Moon, October

With the harvest gathered, October is a time to hunt. It is also a time for a marked change in seasons with the Arapaho calling October the Falling Leaves Moon , and the Algonquin calling it the moon of white frost on grass.

Beaver Moon, November

There are different ideas on why November is the Beaver Moon, including that it is a time when beavers are active before winter and that it is a signal to set traps before waterways freeze. The Abenaki of Northeast Maine called November the Freezing River Maker Moon .

Cold Moon, December

The first day of astronomical winter is Dec. 21 or 22. It is when the top half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun, giving way to colder days and longer nights. The Cherokee also called it the Snow Moon . To the Comanche of the Southern Plains, it was the Evergreen Moon .

What's a Supermoon?

The term Supermoon has many meanings. For staunch astronomers, it is usually the closest moon of the year to Earth, but astrophysicist Fred Espenak gives the title to full moons that come within 90 percent of the closest approach to Earth. Depending on the source, there could be between one four six supermoons on average a year. 

What about a Blue Moon?

Blue Moons, like Supermoons, have different definitions. Some steadfast blue mooners consider a moon blue only if it's the second full moon in a month. But Blue Moons can also be defined as the third of four full moons in a season — the time between a solstice and an equinox, according to EarthSky.org. 

"How can both of them be Blue Moons? The answer stems from the nature of skylore, and folklore in general. It’s lore. And it’s of the 'folk.' So it sometimes gets messy," wrote EarthSky columnists Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd.

Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to [email protected].   Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. 

The Full Pink Moon Rises Tomorrow: When Is The Best Time To Watch?

This month’s full Pink Moon will dazzle stargazers tomorrow night (April 23).

The Pink Moon will be on full and best display at exactly 7:49 PM ET tomorrow. But from Earth, we likely won’t notice that it’s at its peak. According to NASA, the moon will look full for three days. So from Monday through Thursday, we’ll all notice a shockingly bright and round moon in the sky.

Unfortunately, the full moon will not look pink as the name suggests. Instead, it will be golden or orange as it usually is.

NASA explained that the term “Pink Moon” originated from Native Americans who associated the monthly moon with the spring flowers Phlox subulata, more commonly known as moss phlox or creeping phlox. The flowers can bloom in multiple colors, but they’re most often a bright pink. And they start popping up in April.

The Maine Farmers’ Almanac began referring to full moons by their Indian names in the 1930s. Pink Moon comes from tribes in the eastern United States. Tribes in other parts of the country dubbed the moon Egg Moon, Fish Moon, or Sprouting Grass Moon.

Some believe the springtime pink full moon is a symbol of letting go. And, just as the season brings rebirth and renewal to nature, it should push us into fresh starts of our own.

Those who take a moment to marvel at the moon may also notice another cosmic spectacle, the Lyrid meteor showe r. While Saturday and Sunday were the best nights to watch for shooting starts, the show will continue for another week.

The meteor shower happens when Earth passes through the C/1861 G1 Thatcher debris field. During the peak nights, it was possible to see up to 100 meteors an hour, but on typical nights, people will see around 10 to 20 per hour. However, the light from the full moon will make the shooting stars less visible.

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The Lyrid meteor shower will align with April's 'pink moon.' Here's how to watch it.

• On Tuesday, the Lyrid meteor shower happens to line up with the April full moon, AKA the "pink" moon.
• But this bright supermoon could make it harder to see the Lyrids streaking through the sky.
• Here are some tips to give you the best chance of seeing the Lyrid meteor shower.

The Lyrid meteor shower is in full swing this week. Every year from April 15 to April 29, dozens of shooting stars streak through the sky in this spectacular show.

The meteor shower was most active from Sunday night to Monday morning, but it will remain visible for the next week.

On Tuesday night, the Lyrids align with the April full moon, otherwise known as the "pink moon," which will rise at 7:49 p.m. ET .

This supermoon isn't actually pink, but it is very bright. It's a stunning sight all on its own, but seeing it during a meteor shower is a rare astronomical opportunity.

This moon shines so bright that it could make it difficult to see the Lyrids streaking through the sky. But you might be able to see a few.

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Here are some tips to give yourself the best chance of spotting some shooting stars.

Timing is key

In the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to see the Lyrids is during the early morning hours after the moon sets and before the sun rises, according to NASA .

If you're willing to get up before dawn on Wednesday, around 5:45 a.m. ET, that would give you the best chance of seeing the Lyrids. At that time, the moon won't blot them out with its bright glow.

But if you're hoping to spot some shooting stars while the pink moon is still shining on Tuesday night, you'll want to make sure your surroundings are as dark as possible .

Get out of town

Light pollution can make it harder to see a meteor shower. If you can, it's best to find a viewing spot far away from city and street lights , NASA advises.

Once you've picked your spot, lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up at the sky with as wide a view as possible — try not to have tree branches or buildings obstructing your view.

After that, be patient. It will take about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and then the meteors could begin to emerge.

But again, because of the bright "pink" supermoon, stargazers may not see as many as they hope. Nevertheless, the moon will offer a show of its own.

Watch: See the first supermoon of 2023 light up the sky

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Live updates, fish orgies taking over california beaches during full moon — the strange reason why revealed.

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Is this the ultimate sex on the beach?

Millions of fish called grunions have descended upon California beaches to throw their annual orgy under the full moon.

“Looked like some post-apocalyptic marine ‘Mad Max,'” one citizen scientist wrote while describing the carnal congregations, the BBC reported.

This eyewitness is one of many volunteer researchers who gather on the California coastline to witness the annual “grunion run,” which occurs from February to September with a freaky peak between April and June.

For the uni-fish-iated, these hotdog-shaped fish — which grow up to 5 inches long — reside off the coast of Southern California and Northern Baja California .

However, their mating habits are unique in that, unlike most fish, these silver swimmers have sex on the beach, carpeting the sand like scaly spring breakers.

During the bizarre mating ritual, which occurs during full or new moons as their water sports require high tides, females swim as close to the beach as they can. They then jump from sea to shore and use their tails to burrow a hole in the sand, into which they expel their eggs (generally around 3,000).

The male then swims by and fertilizes the batch. They remain buried until swept out to sea by the next tide high enough to reach them; subsequently, the baby grunions hatch.

This salacious spring fling has become something of a local legend; it was notably featured in the 1991 teen comedy “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead,” the Guardian reported.

It also attracts crowds of people, most notably citizen scientists — known as “grunion greeters” — who have been observing the fish orgies since 2002.

These volunteer voyeurs check out the spectacle at more than 50 California beaches, and they then report their findings to biologist Karen Martin, a scientist at Malibu’s Pepperdine University who has been studying grunions for decades.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” gushed the researchers, whose project has seen more than 5,000 contributors.

While it might seem voyeuristic, observing these seaside orgies is the only way to study the fish, which are nearly impossible to count once seaborne.

“Normal” methods for stock assessment don’t work because grunions smartly avoid nets and won’t take bait from a hook, Martin explained.

As a result, the species’ habits once at sea have remained a mystery to scientists.

Studying the species is essential given that the promiscuous fish is reportedly on the decline.

“Findings show a decrease in the number of spawning California grunion across much of their southern California range over the past decade,” said Dianna Porzio, senior environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Meanwhile, their seaside soirées are under threat from beach erosion, beach grooming machines and climate change that affects their temperature-sensitive eggs.

Along with being susceptible to birds and other predators, romping grunions also present an easy target for people, who use them for bait and even fry them up as a snack.

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