Here's a timeline to give you an idea:
* Early Telescopes: The first telescopes, invented around the 1600s, allowed for much clearer views of the moon than the naked eye. Galileo Galilei was one of the first to use a telescope to observe the moon, and his detailed sketches revealed craters and mountains. So, we can say we've been observing the moon "close up" in a basic sense since the early 17th century.
* The Space Race: The 1960s brought us even closer. The Soviet Luna missions sent probes to orbit and land on the moon, sending back images with greater detail.
* The Apollo Landings: In 1969, humans first set foot on the moon, allowing for unparalleled close-up observation and the collection of samples.
So, while the first telescope observations were a significant advancement, it was the space race and the Apollo landings that truly revolutionized our "close-up" view of the moon.
To summarize:
* Basic close-up observations with telescopes: Early 17th century
* Detailed close-up observations with probes: Mid to late 20th century
* Close-up observation by humans on the moon: 1969 onward
