Humans landed on the moon 50 years ago—at 4:17 p.m., American Eastern Daylight Time, July 20, 1969—Neil Armstrong and Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin became the first men to land on the Moon. A television audience estimated at 650 million people watched as the two Apollo astronauts climbed out of the Lunar Module and became the first human beings to set foot on another body in our solar system.
Four days later, Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins completed their mission with a successful splash landing in the Pacific Ocean, returning home safely from their 240,000-mile (387,000 kilometer) journey to Earth’s nearest neighbor.
I was watching the BBC. I was 17 years of age my father was 49 years of age. We watched together up until another delay of the of the walk and then at 03.10 am my father said I am off to bed. I said DAD! Men are going to walk on the moon. I will watch it in the morning! I stayed alone and watched the all but viable grainy images.
James Burke, Patrick Moore and Cliff Michelmore were trying their best to keep things going without any pictures from the Moon. Finally at around 3:45am Burke began to hear definite signs that the astronauts were about to open the door and swing the camera out to show Neil Armstrong step on to the Moon.
The image of the Moon surface was at first upside down. And when it did right itself it was dark and grainy. Many of the shots we see today have been digitally enhanced to give us a rather better image than viewers saw in 1969.
The Stars with Brian Cox
I kind of know what stars are
I have seen the endless Brian Cox programmes
Fascinating indeed
I have looked up at the stars often
I have seen the Milky Way top to bottom
I know of the fate the scientists have predicted for us
I know some of the fables
I know some of the stars names
I know some of the astrological names
But I would rather just look up and wonder
Gaze up on a deep dark night and be overawed
Of course I have asked questions who hasn’t?
But I feel it’s just so much nicer to embrace it
To not know it all
Ignorance is bliss sometimes
Look at it all with the eyes of a child
It’s just so beautiful to share it with yourself
Stand outside look up feel small its OK
Just accept it
John Bishop July 20th 2019
