NASA Invites Everyone to Observe the Moon

September 16, 2026

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NASA is holding International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, 19 September 2026, inviting people around the world to head outside and look up at the night sky.

The main event will be held at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, USA, from 6pm to 9pm, with telescopes set up for visitors to get a close-up look at the Moon’s craters and mountains.

Visitors will be able to see a real Moon rock collected during the Apollo 14 mission, take photos, and try hands-on space activities.

The event celebrates NASA’s Artemis II mission, when four astronauts circled the Moon in April 2026 — the first time humans had travelled that far from Earth in more than 50 years.

International Observe the Moon Night has been held every year since 2010. People who can’t get to Maryland can join in with local moon-watching events, or online, through NASA’s website.

With clear skies, the Moon should be a great sight for budding astronomers everywhere, including here in New Zealand.

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Te Reo Māori
Ka Tono a NASA i te Katoa kia Mātakitaki i te Marama

Ka whakahaeretia e NASA te International Observe the Moon Night i te Rāhoroi, 19 o Hepetema 2026, e tono ana i ngā tāngata puta noa i te ao kia haere ki waho ki te titiro ki te rangi i te pō.

Ka tū te kaupapa matua ki te Goddard Space Flight Center a NASA i Maryland, Amerika, mai i te 6 karaka ki te 9 karaka i te pō, ā, ka whakaritea ngā karu whakarahi hei tirotiro tino tata ki ngā rua me ngā maunga o te Marama.

Ka taea e ngā manuhiri te titiro ki tētahi toka Marama pono i kohia i te wā o te miihana Apollo 14, te tango whakaahua, me te whakamātau i ētahi mahi-ā-ringa e pā ana ki te mōkai.

Ka whakanui te kaupapa i te miihana Artemis II a NASA, i te wā i taiāwhio ai ngā kaimahi mōkai tokowhā i te Marama i Āperira 2026 — te wā tuatahi i haere ai te tangata i tēnei tawhiti mai i te Ao mō neke atu i te 50 tau.

Kua whakahaeretia te International Observe the Moon Night ia tau mai anō i te tau 2010. Mō te hunga kāore e taea te haere ki Maryland, ka taea te whai wāhi mā ngā kaupapa mātakitaki-marama ā-rohe, ā-ipurangi rānei, mā te paetukutuku o NASA.

Mehemea ka mārama te rangi, tērā pea he tino ataahua te Marama mō ngā tamariki whai-whetū o te ao, tae atu ki Aotearoa nei.

Article written by Milli Banbury

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research, writing, and proofreading.
The te reo Māori version of this article was translated with AI assistance. While care has been taken to keep it accurate, if you spot anything that doesn't read quite right, please let us know

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

I set off from home just after breakfast with my cousin, Eli. We rode along the shared path beside the harbour, where the wind was strong enough to make us wobble. At the lookout, we stopped to drink water and watch two sailboats crossing the bay. Eli wanted to turn back early, but I convinced him to keep going to the end of the track. We arrived at the café near the reserve an hour later and shared hot chips before catching the ferry back. It felt like a small adventure, even though we were only a few kilometres from home.

Which option best summarises the passage?

The writer went on an adventure because the harbour path was too windy to enjoy. The writer and Eli saw two sailboats and stopped at a lookout to drink water. The writer and Eli rode to the café, enjoyed the trip, and returned by ferry after a windy journey. The writer convinced Eli to keep going because the reserve was only a few kilometres away.