40 years ago was the night that one billion people could see in black and white, man's first steps on the moon. After Soviet attempts, the Americans Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, accompanied by Michael Collins, stepped on the moon on July 20, 1969.
World was startled by the legs of the module Eagle and Armstrong's left foot, the first to leave the crew. 19 minutes later, Aldrin descended the steps of the module 9 to step on the satellite.
Among the millions of people who witnessed the first steps was Paul VI, who was elected pope two weeks earlier, on June 30 after the death of John XIII.
Pope observed this event from the Specola Vatican, one of the oldest astronomical institutions in the world at that time was at Castel Gandolfo.
After the trip, Paul VI was a small sample of 22 it kilos of moon rocks collected by astronauts during the two hours they were on the moon. Still preserved in this institution, and part of the 1,200 pieces of meteorites and about 22,000 volumes of ancient astronomy written by geniuses such as Copernicus, Galileo or Newton. He also received the Vatican flag on the moon that hondeó together with all countries.
SOURCE: Catholic Information Service
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