Talk:Buzz Aldrin/FAQ
 | Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the corresponding page Buzz Aldrin. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please update this material when needed. |
Q1: The birthplace or hometown listed for Aldrin is wrong.
If the birthplace says Glen Ridge, it is not wrong. Mountainside Hospital, at which Aldrin was born, is located near the border of two New Jersey communities, Glen Ridge and Montclair. This fact has resulted in much confusion; the hospital lists its mailing address as Montclair, but it is physically inside and under the jurisdiction of Glen Ridge, which is listed on Aldrin's birth certificate. As for hometown, Aldrin grew up in Montclair. For previous discussions, see here, here, and here.
Q2: The date for Aldrin's Moon walk is wrong.
The dates of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and Moon walk are often reported as July 20, 1969. However, the Moon is not within any Earth-bound time zone, and to avoid regional bias, the WP:WikiProject Spaceflight community has established a consensus (discussed here) to use UTC. Apollo 11 landed on July 20, regardless of whether UTC or a US-based time zone is used; but because it was past midnight under UTC (for example, in London) by the time the Moon walk began, we use the July 21 date for the Moon walk, including Aldrin's first step. Please don't "correct" it to July 20.
Q3: Shouldn't "Buzz" be listed as a nickname, rather than his actual name?
No. It started out as a nickname, but Aldrin legally changed his name to "Buzz" in 1988. See, e.g., Aldrin, Buzz; Abraham, Ken (June 23, 2009). Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon. Crown/Archetype. p. 108. ISBN 9780307463470.
Even years later, when I legally changed my name from Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. to Buzz Aldrin, it was not an affront to my father. It was more a matter of convenience, since I'd been known as 'Buzz' from childhood.