# Americans: did you know what the moon was before 7/20/69? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854 "2011-03-16T00:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/81 "2011-03-17T03:59:32Z")
Of course I knew about the moon. Not many people knew that the moon has its own moon though. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/82 "2011-03-17T04:17:55Z")
I heard about the moon and I know it is made of cheese. But I have to admit that I don’t know how this giant cheeseball ended up in the sky. Perhaps a Cosmic Cow was involved? I imagine the Hindus have the answer. If so, please enlighten us Americans. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/83 "2011-03-17T04:38:54Z")
I’m still not convinced this moon exists. I mean if we really landed on the moon in 1969, why wouldn’t some airline at the time, like Pan Am, have been selling tickets for a flight there? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/84 "2011-03-17T04:55:31Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > What sound does a new moon make? Fish swimming at the edge of my consciousness. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/85 "2011-03-17T04:57:31Z")
I not only knew what the moon was, I _ **was the Moon** _. In the school play. I had this big yellow circle with a hole for my yellow painted face. I shouted out my 1 line, and then the stars danced around me while the lead character sang a song. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/86 "2011-03-17T05:12:53Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > I not only knew what the moon was, I _ **was the Moon** _. In the school play. I had this big yellow circle with a hole for my yellow painted face. I shouted out my 1 line, and then the stars danced around me while the lead character sang a song. And then a rocket smacked into your eye? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/87 "2011-03-17T05:46:29Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > What sound does a new moon make? 😛 Sounds of disgust from the people who got mooned. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/88 "2011-03-17T09:55:09Z")
I was 21 months old at the time, so I didn’t know what anything was unless it was within reach right then. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/89 "2011-03-17T12:58:18Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > And then a rocket smacked into your eye? We were elementary school kids. The school district would never give us that kind of special effects budget. One of the stars kicked me in the nads. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/90 "2011-03-17T13:18:45Z")
I still, to this day, insist the moon is a movie set. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/91 "2011-03-17T13:23:41Z")
I didn’t know what the moon was until I saw a Twilight book cover. Now I’m good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/92 "2011-03-17T13:35:48Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I still, to this day, insist the moon is a movie set. Well, it is. It’s cheaper to film kung-fu films there, everybody weighs less so you don’t have to spend so much on wire crews to lift everyone in the air for their high kicks. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/93 "2011-03-17T16:25:01Z")
Well, I was actually born on July 20, 1969, so I can honestly say, no. I did not know what the moon was before that date. However, I’m pretty sure I had it figured out by the time I was, I dunno, three years old or so. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/94 "2011-03-17T18:44:41Z")
I know it’s blue, and that it saw me standing alone, without a dream in my heart. > [@msmith537](#): > > M-O-O-N…that spells moon M-O-O-N spells WIN. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/95 "2011-03-17T19:03:53Z")
Sure, what child hasn’t stood in the yard some summer evening and been told by their parent about the même in the moon? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/96 "2011-03-17T19:12:05Z")
That’s no moon – that’s a space station. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/97 "2011-03-17T21:16:05Z")
I was four. I didn’t even know we landed on the moon at the time, let alone what it was. I think my parents might have tried to get me to watch the historic event, but I have no memory of it. ---
**Author:** ![Terra1041](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Terra1041](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terra1041)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/98 "2011-03-18T01:29:24Z")
I was -18 in 1969, not old enough to have a brain that could hold knowledge ^\_~ I knew what the moon was from a very early age, though. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/99 "2011-03-18T01:55:04Z")
I was 25 when we landed. I knew it was a rock but everybody was guessing how deep moon dust might be or it it was a hard rock with no dust. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854/100 "2011-03-18T07:36:51Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Of course I knew about the moon. Not many people knew that the moon has its own moon though. My moon is so big it has its own moon, and my moon’s moon is bigger than your moon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-did-you-know-what-the-moon-was-before-7-20-69/574854.md?page=6)