Monday, April 13, 2026

Artemis II / Trombones

Moon Watches


MoonSwatch: photo by Cliff Hutson
MoonSwatch: photo by Cliff Hutson


My father was born in 1889 and passed away just about a month short of his 99th birthday. One of the things he enjoyed most about his long life was that he could remember reading about the Wright brothers' first flight and that he lived to watch men walk on the moon when he was eighty years of age. I will turn eighty in a few months and am not sure that I will mark my life with such momentous events.

But, it was with some eagerness that I watched the lift off and splashdown of the Artemis II mission as humankind once again ventures into the further reaches of space. I wore my MoonSwatch "Mission to the Moon" watch for the ten day duration of its journey to the moon and back as an admittedly silly way to commemorate the occasion. 

Some readers might realize that this watch is a nod to the Omega Speedmaster that was so essential to the successful return of Apollo 13 after it ran into trouble on its voyage. There were Omegas onboard Artemis II as well. But, some of the technology has changed over the years. One can find what is old and what is new here and here

There is other big news this week:

International Trombone Week


This year’s official International Trombone Week is April 12-19. Find out more about it at the International Trombone Association site.





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