“ONE small step for man but a giant leap for mankind”, the 50th anniversary of the the decade-defining, epoch-making first manned landing on the moon includes special events in the Elan Valley and at Machynlleth this weekend.

The Elan Valley Visitor Centre, near Rhayader, has a Moon Day this Sunday, July 21, from 10am to 4pm, to celebrate the historic NASA Apollo XI moon landing and astronaut Neil Armstrong’s historic first step, with fun, astronomy themed activities including children’s workshops about astronauts and to fire your own air powered rockets with Astrocymru.

Experience the event live on television as billions did at the time by watching the CBS TV coverage from 1969 being shown, and there will be an exhibition of Apollo memorabilia.

There will be two astronomy talks given by Pete Williamson (FRAS): on ‘The Moon from Myth to Landings and Beyond’ at 10am, and ‘Herschel to Hawkwind’ at 2pm.

Listen to memories of the lunar landing and share your story with the Elan Links Project.

To book your place on the children’s workshops, ring 01597 810880 and visit www.elanvalley.org.uk/events

The Museum of Modern Art at Machynlleth has also been marking the occasion with an exhibition of NASA photographs of the Moon, to which has been added a selection of works from the Tabernacle Collection all featuring a moon, on show to July 27.

This Saturday, July 20, they also have an exclusive screening of the new BBC/PBS/Open University documentary ‘8 Days: To the Moon and Back’.

It will be introduced by Philip Ralph, a Machynlleth resident who wrote the documentary and there will also be a question and answer session.

It starts at 7pm with free admission.