Japan's historic landing of an unmanned probe on the moon provided a gripping experience for space enthusiasts across the nation.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency officials say SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, touched down on Saturday.

People at a public viewing center near a JAXA facility in Sagamihara City near Tokyo cheered when the probe's altitude hit zero meters.

A group of women in Tokyo attempted to receive signals from SLIM using special equipment. But the task became difficult when the moon moved low on the Earth's horizon.

A team at Wakayama University in western Japan used a 12-meter antenna to communicate with the small rovers being carried by SLIM.

Professor Akiyama Hiroaki says the signals they received suggest the probe has landed successfully.