Star Points for July 2009 by Curtis Roelle Moon Landing 40th Anniversary Forty years ago this month the first human visitors to the moon landed in the region known as the Sea of Tranquility. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo 11 lunar module (LM) at a site they dubbed "Tranquility Base" on Sunday afternoon, July 20, 1969. The moon's oceans, seas, bays, and lakes are actually dust-covered volcanic planes. They appear darker than the rest of the moon and stand out when viewed from Earth. In the early history of the moon these areas were covered in molten lava. The location of the first lunar landing was selected because the lunar plains were thought to be relatively smooth, with fewer craters, mountains, and other obstacles than the more rugged highlands, where the later Apollo missions eventually landed, as experience and confidence increased with each mission. Later that night Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on another world. As he stepped off the footpad of the LM he proclaimed his now famous words about "one small step." When Buzz Aldrin joined him outside of the vehicle, he uttered his own words, describing the stark beauty of the lunar landscape that he perceived as "magnificent desolation." These words were later echoed in the title of the 2005 movie "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon in 3D," co-written by Tom Hanks. "Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon," is also the title of Buzz Aldrin's new book to be released later this month. While the "moon walkers" stayed on the lunar surface, Michael Collins remained alone in lunar orbit aboard the command module (CM). In an interview in the 2007 documentary film "In the Shadow of the Moon," Collins described the stark isolation that he felt during each orbit when the CM was on the far side of the moon and out of contact with the earth. He said that on the other side of the moon from him was every living creature on Earth, plus two (on the moon): "You look over there and there's three billion people, plus two, somewhere down there, and then over here there's one plus God only knows what." On Sunday, July 19, the three Apollo 11 astronauts will be reunited at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum (NASM) in Washington. Although the tickets have all been given away, you will still have an opportunity to meet several Apollo astronauts during the day. Buzz Aldrin will be signing copies of his book. Michael Collins will be signing copies of the new 40th anniversary edition of his book "Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys." And Apollo 12 moon walker and current space artist Alan Bean will be signing copies of his latest book, "Painting Apollo." For more information visit the NASM web site at nasm.si.edu. Bob Zimmerman, an award-winning author specializing in space history, is scheduled to speak on the first 50 years of space exploration -- and what we should expect down the road -- at the July 8 meeting of the Westminster Astronomical Society, Inc. (WASI). The meeting, free and open to the public, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Bear Branch Nature Center, 300 John Owings Road, Westminster. For more information see the WASI web site at www.westminsterastro.org.