Cosmic Origins

Cosmic Origins opens to the public on July 20, 2019 at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped down from the Apollo 11 lunar lander and impressed the Moon’s dusty surface with the first human bootprint. This singular moment—when humanity set foot on a world outside Planet Earth—inspired a vibrant new age of scientific and technological research that has vastly improved the understanding of our planet, solar system, and wider universe.

On July 20, 2019, the Harvard Museum of Natural History will mark the 50^th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon with the unveiling of Cosmic Origins. Visitors to this new small exhibit—located within our Earth & Planetary Sciences exhibition—will investigate the origins of and processes shaping planetary bodies and stars by using touchable specimens, colorful visuals, and interactive media. Through November 27, 2019, the exhibit will also feature an original lunar specimen, on loan from NASA, collected during Apollo 12. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to examine a real Moon rock, and to engage with this dynamic new exhibit. Cosmic Origins opens to the public on July 20, 2019 at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

The exhibition is supported by a generous gift in memory of John P. Huchra.