International Observe the Moon Night: Here's how you can celebrate our cosmic neighbour

International Observe the Moon Night first commenced in the year 2010 at the beginning of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission.

Haven't we all, at some point or the other, looked up to the night sky and been mesmerized by its beauty? We have all, most certainly, tried repeatedly to capture the beauty of the sliver, shimmering moon forever. Well, we have celebrated our only natural satellite time and again and now it's time to officially do just that. October 28, 2017, is the International Observe the Moon Night (IOMN). Several authorities have planned different things all across the world to encourage people to step outside, take a nice long look or two at our magnificent satellite and just live the moment.

International Observe the Moon Night first commenced in the year 2010 at the beginning of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. Other NASA institutes, like the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the Planetary Science Institute, NASA SSERVI, NASA's Discovery & New Frontiers Program and several others, also dedicated themselves to observing and understanding the moon. The idea is to make people interested in the satellite and, in the process, inspire them to learn more about it.

The wonderful thing about the moon is that you can just gaze at it with your bare eyes and carefully see the details. If you use binoculars, you can see the astounding fine points of the craters and ridges. A telescope will enhace these features and give you an experience of a lifetime.

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Do you not have all these equipment? Don't worry at all. On Saturday night, several events have been organized all over the world so that one can get a closer look at the moon. For example, there is the waxing gibbous Moon, which is perfect for observing craters, valleys, and ridges of the satellite. One can also opt for Gianluca Masi's Virtual Observatory Project, which has arranged a live webcast of telescopic viewing which is set to commence at 17:00 UT on Saturday, October 28.

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