MOON

Rare Harvest ‘Micromoon’ Will Appear on Friday the 13th

The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is dubbed a 'harvest moon.' This year, it will also be a rare harvest 'micromoon.'

August Is Ending With a Super New Moon

The gravitational pull of the supermoon will team up with that of the sun on August 30 to create super-charged "king" tides around the world.

How to See the Full Sturgeon Moon on Thursday

August's full moon is called a sturgeon moon. Here's what you need to know to make the most of the celestial event on August 15.

The Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Next Week—Here's How to Boost Your Chance of Seeing a Shooting Star

A full sturgeon moon will make 2019's Perseids less brilliant than they've appeared in years past, but if you know when and where to look, you can increase your chances of spotting a shooting star.

Thousands of Tardigrades Are Stranded on the Moon After an Israeli Lunar Lander Crashed

Thousands of dehydrated tardigrades—also known as water bears—were accidentally left on the Moon's surface last April, and it's highly likely that they're still alive.

July Is Ending With a Rare Black Supermoon on Wednesday

After a month of spooky astronomical events, July will close out with a rare black supermoon this Wednesday.

Alpha Capricornids/iStock via Getty Images

The Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend—Here's How to See It

Usually it's all about the Perseids, but this summer, the Delta Aquariids is the meteor shower to catch, thanks to July's "old moon." Here's how to view it.

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin share a laugh with President Richard Nixon while aboard the USS Hornet on July 24, 1969.

Richard Nixon Had a Speech Prepared In the Event That Apollo 11's Mission Failed

In the event that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were stranded on the moon, William Safire wrote a heartbreaking letter for the president to read.

Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan mans a Lunar Roving Vehicle during the Apollo 17 mission.

Get The Details On All 21 Successful Moon Landings With This Interactive Map

Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary is a great opportunity to explore the history of Moon landings with Smithsonian.com’s handy map.

Margaret Hamilton, lead Apollo flight software engineer, in the Apollo Command Module.

Meet Margaret Hamilton: The Woman Behind the Apollo Project

When Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the surface of the Moon in July of 1969, software was a relatively new development. In fact, the Moon mission was one of the first times this kind of engineering was used in such a fundamental way. History was being wri

LEGO Built a Life-Sized Astronaut Model to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11

The 6-foot-3-inch model took 300 hours and 30,000 LEGO blocks to build. It matches the astronaut suits worn during the 1969 Moon landing.

A Half-Blood Thunder Moon Will Light Up Tonight’s Sky

The half-blood thunder moon—a partial lunar eclipse that coincides with a full moon in July—falls on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch.

The Saturn V rocket lifts off with the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969.

CBS Is Live-Streaming Its 1969 Coverage of the Apollo 11 Launch Right Now on YouTube

Tune into CBS’s live stream of its 1969 coverage of the Apollo 11 mission launch, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.

8 Facts About David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'

On July 11, 1969—just weeks before the Apollo 11 landing—David Bowie's iconic single 'Space Oddity' was released.

The Saturn V rocket takes off on July 16, 1969.

The Washington Monument Is Transforming Into a Full-Scale Saturn V Rocket for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Find out when and where you can watch the full-scale projection, accompanied by a short film about the 1969 Moon landing.

NASA/Liaison/Hulton Archives, Getty Images

50 Facts About the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon—and Buzz Aldrin became the first one to pee on it.

Joshua Hicks, iStock / Getty Images Plus

Here's How to Livestream Today's Total Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse will be visible over South America today, July 2, 2019—but you don't need to catch a plane to see it live.

The First Total Solar Eclipse in Two Years Is Coming in July

On July 2, 2019, a total solar eclipse will be visible from Earth for the first time since the Great American Eclipse of 2017. Here's where to see it.

Phil Plait, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit Will Go Back on Display for Apollo 11's 50th Anniversary

Neil Armstrong's iconic suit was pulled from the museum floor out of fear of deterioration, but after a conservation project, it's ready to go back on display.

A Lunar Crash May Have Left Behind a Library of Human Civilization on the Moon

A failed attempt to land a lunar craft may have had an unintended consequence: 30 million digital pages of knowledge might still be residing on the Moon.

If the Moon is Gradually Moving Farther Away From Us, Will Its Gravitational Pull Ever Cease on Earth?

Theoretically, the Moon could move far enough away to no longer have a hold on Earth. But quite a number of other big events would likely take place first.

A Full Pink Moon Is Coming in April

A full pink moon isn't actually pink—but it's so important that it helps determine when Easter will occur each year.

NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann at an event in August 2018

First Person on Mars Will Likely be a Woman, Says NASA Boss

The human-led mission isn't expected to happen until at least 2030, but when it does, a woman will likely be the first person to set foot on the Red Planet.

A Super Worm Moon Is Coming on the First Day of Spring

The third and final supermoon of 2019—the super worm moon—will appear on the vernal equinox in March. Here's the best time to watch it.

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