Apollo 11 Rocket Projected on Washington Monument (photos)

It was one of the defining moments in history. Those who were around at the time will never forget where they were at 4:17:40 p.m. EDT on July 20, 1969 when a lunar module touched down with the first humans to land on another world.

For the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, on successive days, a 363-foot image of their Saturn V rocket was projected onto the 555 foot Washington Monument, folllowed by a 17-minute light show taking viewers back to July 16, 1969 when Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin undertook their giant leap for mankind from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.

Nearby at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Armstrong’s customized spacesuit was returned to public view, complete with the first boots to step on the moon. (It had been removed in 2006 for restauration purposes.)

A few blocks away on Pennsylvania Ave., the Newseum displayed historic front pages celebrating the event.

View Jeff Malet’s photos from the National Mall by clicking on the photo icons below.

tagsApollo 11astronautmoonNational Air and Space MuseumSmithsonianSmithsonian Air and Space MuseumWashington Monument