Look up for International Observe the Moon Night on Oct. 5
Feast your eyes, alongside NASA.
NASA wants to send people back to the moon in 2024.
For the last decade, astronomers and space fans around the globe have stepped out on a particular night each year to celebrate our lunar neighbor. International Observe the Moon Night falls on Saturday this year, and there are a number of ways to participate.
NASA describes the event as a "worldwide celebration of lunar science and exploration, celestial observation, and our cultural and personal connections to the moon."
The simplest way to mark the occasion is to go outside, look up and take a moment to contemplate the moon, but there are also official gatherings around the globe.
To find an event near you, check out NASA's Attend an Event page and zoom in on your location. Not all of the events take place on Saturday. Some gatherings are set for Friday night instead.
NASA wants everyone to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night.
In case you're wondering, International Observe the Moon Night doesn't coincide with a full moon on purpose.
"The best lunar observing is typically along the Moon's terminator (the line between night and day) where shadows are the longest, rather than at full moon," NASA says.
Cloudy weather doesn't have to put a damper on your Observe the Moon Night festivities. The Virtual Telescope Project will livestream the moon from Rome starting at 10 a.m. PT/7 p.m. local time on Saturday.
It has been a big year for moon missions. China's Chang'e 4 lander and rover are checking out the far side of the moon. Israel and India both bravely attempted to land spacecraft on the lunar surface, though their attempts didn't work out.
NASA is focused on getting humans back to the moon with the Artemis 2024 mission, even as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's trip to the surface in 1969.
