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07/16/2019 – Ephemeris – 50 years ago today the Apollo mission left for the Moon
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 12 minutes, setting at 9:25, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:13. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 9:30 this evening.
50 years ago today at 11:32 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time the most powerful rocket ever built roared into life. The Saturn V, a three stage rocket, 363 feet tall, which in turn launched two spacecraft, the Command and Service modules, and the Lunar Module, and three astronauts on their journey to destiny, Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, and Michael Collins. It was the start of the Apollo 11 mission. It happens that tonight the namesake of the rocket, the planet Saturn is to the right of the Moon. At launch the Moon was two days old, a thin crescent in the west that evening. Four days later they would be orbiting the Moon, and Armstrong and Aldrin would be descending to the Moon’s surface.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addenda
Apollo 11
Left to right Neil Armstrong, Mission Commander; Michael Collins, Command Module Pilot; and Buzz Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot. Credit: NASA.
The Saturn V for the Apollo 11 mission lifts of from Pad 39A. Credit: NASA.
The Moon and Saturn tonight, 11 p.m. July 16, 2019. In reality the Moon will be so bright that Saturn will be almost overwhelmed. Created using Stellarium.
Here’s an excellent podcast series from the BBC: 13 Minutes to the Moon.
Partial Lunar Eclipse
The partial lunar eclipse today is not mentioned in the program because it is not visible locally.
Partial Lunar Eclipse of July 16, 2019. Click on image to enlarge. Credit NASA/GSFC/F. Espenak.
08/27/2012 – Ephemeris – RIP: Neil Armstrong
Ephemeris for Monday, August 27th. The sun will rise at 6:59. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 8:27. The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 3:44 tomorrow morning.
Over the weekend we learned that Neil Armstrong, the first human to step on the moon, passed away at age 82. I am old enough to remember all of the space age from Sputnik to Curiosity’s landing on Mars. The Apollo 11 landing and subsequent lunar EVA or moon walk were riveting to me and all the world. Neil was an engineer and understood the flying machines he flew implicitly, whether it was the X15, Gemini, Apollo Command Module or the Lunar Module. He stayed an engineer and became a college professor after he returned to earth, not cashing in on his fame. He is a hero in a time that has no true heroes. He will be remembered as long as humanity strives to reach the stars.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 