Moreholidays July Space Exploration Day

                           

National Space Exploration Day

Space Day

About National Space Exploration Day

When is National Space Exploration Day? This holiday is always celebrated on July 20

On September 12, 1962, then President John F. Kennedy gave his “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech at Rice University. He called space the “new frontier”. His speech jump-started America’s initial efforts at space exploration. On Space Exploration Day, a July 20 holiday, we celebrate the day man first stepped on another celestial body, the moon.

July 20, 1969, was truly a momentous day for mankind. U.S. Astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first human to set foot on the moon. It was indeed a day for Americans and the world to be proud. In recognition of this accomplishment, Space Exploration Day was declared. In Proclamation #5224, then-President Ronald Reagan correctly stated that space exploration is part of the human adventure. So, it is only fitting that on this day, we celebrate this momentous accomplishment. And, we look forward to continued exploration of the final frontier. 

Currently, there are many projects directly involved with space exploration. Today, the goal of America’s Artemis project is to return to the moon. We also see efforts to prepare to ultimately send astronauts to the planet Mars. And, the James Webb telescope has replaced the highly successful Hubble telescope. This new and improved telescope orbits the Earth, sending back spectacular images of space, galaxies, black holes, and far-distant planets. It gives us remarkable new information about the universe.

How Old is the Universe?

It is difficult to establish a really close determination of how old the universe is. The common consensus is that the universe is 13.8 billion years old, give or take a few million years. Our Milky Way Galaxy is estimated to be 13.6 billion years old.

In contrast, our planet Earth is a young 4.6 billion years old. And, our moon is just 4.425 billion years old. 

Planet Saturn

How to Celebrate National Space Exploration Day

You don’t have to be a geek or a nerd to enjoy this special holiday. But, you do have to partake in something related to space, and ideally something related to space exploration. This day is purely about space exploration. So, sci-fi movies and books that do not feature space exploration do not count.

Here are some ideas of things you can do to celebrate this day.

  • Watch the movie “Apollo 13”.
  • Watch some Star Trek movies. After all, their stated mission is to explore the final frontier.
  • Read a book on space exploration.
  • Go to NASA’s website and browse through their voluminous website.
  • Look for pictures from the new James Webb space telescope. They are truly breathtaking.
  • Go to your local observatory or planetarium.
  • Get together with your friends tonight and look at the stars through a telescope.

Today's Quote

“If you are in a spaceship that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything happen?” – – Steven Wright

Moon Lunar Landing

History and Origin of National Space Exploration Day

n 1984, the U.S. Congress approved Joint Resolution #555 declaring July 20 as Space Exploration Day. On July 20, 1984, then President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July 20 to be Space Exploration Day.

Both the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States proclaimed today to be Space Exploration Day. One would think that they would have declared it as a formal “National” day. However, they did not. It is a true national day. So, we appropriately include the word “National in the title.

Definition of “National” Days – and why it so important to distinguish and identify true national days.



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