NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing captivated the world 45 years ago on Sunday, and space fans have a chance to relive that lunar feat with two free webcasts.
To begin the night, the online Slooh community observatory will offer live telescope views and expert commentary on the first manned moon landing. Later, NASA will broadcast restored video of the Apollo 11 moonwalk by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin at the exact time the two astronauts ventured out onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, as crewmate Michael Collins orbited above in the command module.
The lunar celebration starts at 8:30 p.m. ET, when Slooh will stream telescope views of the moon on Slooh.com.
NASA's webcast of the Apollo 11 moonwalk will begin at 10:39 p.m. ET (0239 July 21 GMT). You can watch both Apollo 11 webcasts on Space.com, courtesy of Slooh and NASA TV.
Slooh focuses on the moon in real time
The Slooh webcast features live views of the moon via a telescope in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Slooh host Geoff Fox will host the webcast and be joined by astronomer Bob Berman, as well as documentary filmmaker Duncan Copp and science journalist Andrew Chaikin, author of the book "A Man on the Moon," chronicling the Apollo program. Viewers can follow the webcast on Twitter and ask questions via the hashtag #SloohApollo11. [NASA's Apollo 11 Moon Landing in Pictures]
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"A disconcerting minority of Americans think the moon landings were a hoax, even though this can be decisively rebutted in 30 seconds," Berman said in a statement. "And wild, still largely unknown secrets surround that first mission, including humorous mishaps that did not come to light until much later, that were personally revealed to me by Buzz Aldrin."
NASA replays the moonwalk as it happened
NASA's moonwalk webcast is timed to the exact moment, 45 years ago, when Armstrong opened the Eagle lunar lander's hatch to step out onto the lunar surface.
"The world watched 45 years as astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set their lunar module Eagle down in the Sea of Tranquility, while crewmate Michael Collins orbited above in the command module Columbia," NASA officials wrote in a statement. "On Sunday starting at 10:39 p.m., when Armstrong opened the spacecraft hatch to begin the first spacewalk on the moon, NASA TV will replay the restored footage of Armstrong and Aldrin's historic steps on the lunar surface."
Still more #Apollo45 webcasts from NASA
The moonwalk webcast is one of several NASA events commemorating the Apollo 11 moon landing anniversary. On Monday, NASA will broadcast live from its Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the center's Operations and Checkout Building is renamed in honor of Neil Armstrong. That webcast, which will also be carried live on Space.com, will begin at 10:15 a.m. ET.
For more NASA events celebrating the Apollo 11 anniversary, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/apollo45/.
— Tariq Malik, Space.com
This is a condensed version of a report from Space.com. Read the full report. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him on Twitter and Google+. Follow Space.com on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.