10 Years of International Observe the Moon Night!
10 years ago, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and its sister mission Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) entered lunar orbit. From the interest and enthusiasm at events celebrating the occasion, International Observe the Moon Night was born.
In ten years, this program has expanded across the globe – and above it, to the International Space Station. This year, we invite you to join lunar enthusiasts around the world in a celebration of past, present, and future lunar exploration. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. We are building on the legacy of Apollo, reshaping our understanding of the Moon with an international fleet of robotic explorers, and preparing to return humans to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program. There is much to celebrate.
World Space Week is October 4 – 10
This year, International Observe the Moon Night coincides with World Space Week! World Space Week is held annually on October 4-10. This year’s theme is “The Moon: Gateway to the Stars.” Once you register yourInternational Observe the Moon Night event, feel free to register it with World Space Week as well.
More About International Observe the Moon Night
International Observe the Moon Night has been held annually since 2010. Each year, thousands of people participate at museums, planetaria, schools, universities, observatories, parks, businesses, and backyards around the world. Everyone can participate. All you need to do is look up! Learning about and celebrating the Moon is even better. Every interested group or individual can host an event.
This is a time for libraries to feature Moon books, radio stations to play Moon songs, schools to unite around a common lunar theme in art, history, engineering, language, and science classes – everyone can explore the Moon from their own angle.
International Observe the Moon Night is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, with many contributing partners.
Plan Ahead
Upcoming dates for International Observe the Moon Night
- September 26, 2020
- October 16, 2021
- October 1, 2022
