International Moon Day
Next: July 20, 2027
One small step for all of us.
The story
Where it comes from
International Moon Day marks 20 July 1969, when Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle landed on the Sea of Tranquility and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon, while Michael Collins circled above in the command module. The idea of a UN day came from the Moon Village Association and was backed by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. On 9 December 2021 the General Assembly declared 20 July International Moon Day, to honour what every country has achieved in exploring the Moon. It was first observed in 2022.
How it's celebrated
The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Moon Village Association invite governments, space agencies, schools, groups and individuals to hold their own events, and the association collects and shares them. The day also asks people to think about how the Moon can be explored sustainably. And it is a fine evening to step outside and look up.
Did you know
- A plaque left on Eagle's landing leg reads 'Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.'
- Steering away from a crater full of large rocks, Armstrong landed with only about 30 seconds' worth of fuel left for the descent engine.
- On 23 August 2023 India's Chandrayaan-3 set its Vikram lander down near the Moon's south pole, the first spacecraft to land in that region.
Coming up next
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- World Brain Day · July 22, 2027
- Fumi no Hi (Letter Day) · July 23, 2027
- Discovery of Comet Hale-Bopp · July 23, 2027
- International Self-Care Day · July 24, 2027