Science Friday: Collect rocks, plant flag

Every year that goes by firms my realisation that putting people on the moon was an absolutely stunning achievement.

Almost 50 years ago a massive team of engineers helped put 3 highly skilled men in orbit around that giant rock in our sky, that is stunningly distant, yes infinitesimally close, then land, then take off again.

While still doing the math by hand.

I think the best perspective of the distance in a scale overhead.

Ranging the moon

It's best behind a bunch of black, or a view from a telescope orbiting Mars., but consider it in light seconds.

Wiki

Then put some men in a hunk of metal utop a chemical missile rocket over a period of days.

Last year the twitter account @ReliveApollo11 recreated the days surrounding the landing, to help those of us too young to have experienced the timeline over the wireless as it happened.

The Moon is in both shadow and earthshine, filling 3/4 of the hatch window. Neil says, “it’s a view worth the price of the trip.” #Apollo11

— Apollo 11 (@ReliveApollo11) July 19, 2017

Anyone can view it, and I highly recommend you try transport yourself to another time.

Blog title thanks to the 10c New York Times from that day #Apollo11