2015 Event A rare "blood moon" is visible tonight: the moon is in full moon phase and at its closest distance to Earth for the year, giving it a large 'supermoon' appearance; the concurrent lunar eclipse gives the large orb a red coloration 2014 Event A total lunar eclipse takes place tonight; the eclipse will be visible in North and South America, New Zealand, Australia and nearby regions; the next total lunar eclipse will take place on October 8, 2014 2013 Event China's first lunar rover, the Yutu, makes the first 'soft' landing on the moon since 1976; Yutu is the third robotic rover in existence 2013 Event The Chang'e 3 lunar probe is launched by China; the probe, headed for the moon, includes a robotic lander and the Yutu, Jade Rabbit buggy 2013 Event The launch of the 'Yu Tu', China's first lunar vehicle, is scheduled to take place at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center before December 10, 2013 2013 Event The brightest lunar meteor impact ever observed is recorded by NASA 2013 Event NASA reveals the Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR), a lunar mining robot which could be used to produce fuel and water directly on the Moon 2013 Event NASA scientists achieve a first in laser communication when they successfully beam a picture of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a spacecraft orbiting the Moon 2012 Event An asteroid named 4179 Toutatis, over 3 miles wide, passes within 4.3 million miles, or 18 lunar distances from Earth 2010 Event Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao releases pictures of the moon's Sinus Iridum, or Bay of Rainbows, taken during China's Chang e-2 lunar mission 2009 Event The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/LCROSS is launched by NASA to probe the Moon 1988 Event NASA unviels plans for lunar colony and manned missions to Mars 1976 Event U.S.S.R. launches Luna 24, last Lunar flight to date from Earth 1973 Event NASA launches Radio Astronomy Explorer 49 into lunar orbit 1972 Event Apollo 17 (U.S.), final manned lunar landing mission, launched 1972 Event Apollo 16's Young and Duke land on Moon with Boeing Lunar Rover #2 1972 Event Apollo 16 launched; 5th manned lunar landing (Decartes Highlands) 1971 Event U.S. launches 1st satellite into lunar orbit from manned spacecraft 1971 Event Apollo 14 launched, 1st landing in lunar highlands 1970 Event U.S.S.R. launches Luna 16; returns samples from lunar Sea of Fertility 1969 Event Russia's Luna 15 impacts moon after 52 lunar orbits 1969 Event Stafford and Cernan pilot Apollo 10 LEM 9.4 mi(15km) above lunar surface 1969 Event Apollo 10 (Stafford/Cernan/Young) launched toward lunar orbit 1968 Event Launch of Zond 5, 1st lunar fly-around with Earth reentry 1968 Event Apollo 5 launched to Moon; unmanned lunar module tests made 1968 Event U.S. Surveyor 7 lands near lunar crater Tycho 1967 Event U.S. Surveyor 5 makes 1st chemical analysis of lunar material 1967 Event U.S.'s Lunar Orbiter 5 launched; enters lunar orbit Aug 5 1967 Event U.S. launches Explorer 35 for lunar orbit (800/7400 km) 1967 Event Lunar Orbiter 4 launched by U.S.; begins orbiting Moon May 7 1967 Event U.S. launches Lunar Orbiter 3 1966 Event Lunar Orbiter 2 reaches 196-1871 km around Moon 1966 Event Lunar Orbiter 2 launched by US 1966 Event Lunar Orbiter 2 launched 1966 Event Lunar Orbiter 1 crashes on moon: 6.7 degrees N 162 degrees E 1966 Event Lunar Orbiter 1 takes 1st photograph of Earth from Moon 1966 Event 1st U.S. lunar orbiter begins orbiting Moon 1966 Event 1st lunar orbiter launched by U.S. 1966 Event U.S. Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum; 1st lunar soft-landing 1966 Event U.S.S.R. launches Luna 10, 1st lunar orbiter 1965 Event U.S. Ranger 9 launched; takes 5,814 pictures before lunar impact 1965 Event U.S. Ranger 8 launched, will transmit 7,137 lunar pictures 1963 Event Soviet lunar probe failure 1962 Event U.S. launches Ranger 5 for lunar impact; misses Moon 1961 Event U.S. lunar probe Ranger 1 reaches 190 km from Earth, falls back 1959 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mechta, Luna 1, for 1st lunar fly-by, 1st solar orbit 1958 Event U.S. lunar probe Pioneer 3 reaches 107,269 km, falls back 1783 Event Herschel reports seeing a red glow near lunar crater Aristarchus 1638 Event Lunar eclipse is 1st astronomical event recorded in U.S. 1504 Event Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians 1178 Event Proposed time of origin of lunar crater Giordano Bruno 463 Event Start of Lunar Cycle of Hilarius
