Memories of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Neil Armstrong took this picture of Buzz Aldrin, showing a reflection in Aldrin's visor of Armstrong and the Lunar Module during the Apollo 11 mission, which landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969. This is one of the few photographs showing Armstrong (who carried the camera most of the time) on the moon. Credit: NASA

SPACE.com readers are discussing where they were, what they were doing, and how the July 20, 1969 Apollo landing affected them 40 years ago. A sampling...

"On the night of the first moon walk I was glued to the TV. I remember the landing earlier and at seven was a little confused with audio only, but I got it."

"I was a toddler, 3 yrs old. I remember sitting on green shag carpet in front of an orange couch (though that may be the other way around color wise, hey, I was 3) watching it on the TV. I even remember I was in footy PJs."

"I realized in my 6-year-old mind what was happening and I remember grasping the concept, yet not fully realizing the-if you'll pardon the expression- 'gravity' of the event."

"I remember my mother scolding me for not giving the Apollo landing my undivided attention. "Don't you realize history is being made?!" she said."

"My main memory of Apollo 11 is of staying awake until about 4 am (UK time,) just before Armstrong stepped down the ladder and waiting for the action to begin on an ancient black-and-white tv set - then dosing off and missing it by about 5 mins ... !"

"I think its interesting how similar our memories are...humankind was was all linked together by television briefly."

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