Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landings this Summer

2019 marks 50 years since the 1969 moon landing, in which the United States’ Apollo 11 spacecraft made its first contact with the surface of the moon on 20th July.

With Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin the first people ever to set foot on the moon, it signalled an era of pioneering scientific exploration and discovery, which will be celebrated in Bath and Bristol this summer through a variety of events and activities.

In Bath, the Herschel Museum of Astronomy will mark the special anniversary by hosting a summer of lunar activities. Children and families will be able to get creative with space-themed crafts and read moon-inspired books from 24th July to 30th August.

The museum is itself iconic in the history of planetary exploration, as the modest Georgian townhouse was where eighteenth-century astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, along with his sister, Caroline. Today visitors can explore the Herschels’ workshop, containing original telescopes and astronomical tools, their music room and a formal garden, alongside temporary exhibitions and events, lectures and recitals.

Recently moved from Bath to Bristol, the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) will host a variety of events and exhibitions to celebrate the anniversary. Space Steps: The Moon and Beyond, 5th July to 29th September, will explore the journey of Apollo 11 through iconic images captured on film. Visitors will also be able to delve into the world of space exploration with talks ranging from the role of photography in the Apollo Missions, to the historical challenges of capturing the moon on camera.

The RPS, previously based on Bear Flat in Bath, is now located in the Paintworks Creative Quarter, not far from Bristol Temple Meads and easily accessible from Bath via the X39 bus.

Housing the country’s only 3D planetarium, We the Curious in Bristol is also well-placed to celebrate the anniversary. In collaboration with the RPS, a 3D screening of In the Steps of Apollo will be shown on 20th July, a new music show created by music and education charity Sound World and We the Curious. The project, supported by Arts Council England, is inspired by the legacy of the lunar landing, and entails five contemporary classical music journeys – the screening itself preceded by a talk from Debbie Ireland, Curator of the RPS’s Space Steps exhibition.

Bath and Bristol make an ideal short-break this summer for all budding astronauts, history buffs and those who just love to wonder: Two Cities, One (Giant) Trip.