June 10, 2022 The Arietids meteor shower reaches the peak rate of meteors today. The radiant for the Arietids meteor shower lies in the constellations of Aries and Perseus. However, the Sun lies near these constellations during the peak of this shower, which makes the shower itself difficult to see. The Arietids are one of… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 9, 2022
June 9, 2022 On this date in 1963, the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 5 is rolled out to its launch pad, near Vostok 6. After final testing, both spacecraft are declared ready for launch of the very first mission to rendezvous two spacecraft. Vostok 5 is flown by cosmonaut Valeri Bykovsky, and Vostok 6 by Valentina… Continue reading
Radium Water Jar
St. Louis, Missouri, ca. 1925 At the beginning of the 20th century, radium was regarded as supernatural because of its radioactive and healing powers. Long thought to be a cure for cancer, it began appearing everywhere – in bath salts, mouthwashes, ointments, and face powders. Many doctors began prescribing radium water to patients, and some… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 8, 2022
June 8, 2022 On this date in 1975, the Soviet spacecraft Venera 9 launched. Venera 9 consisted of both an orbiter and lander, which were the first to orbit Venus and the first to send back images from the surface of another planet respectively. The images sent back from the surface of Venus were meant… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 7, 2022
June 7, 2022 Tonight at 10 pm, the bright star Deneb is visible over the northeastern horizon. Deneb comes from the Arabic word for “tail” and represents the tail feathers of Cygnus the Swan. Deneb appears very bright in our sky; however, it is one of the most distant stars you can see with the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 6, 2022
June 6, 2022 Jupiter is known for the large hurricane-like storms that rage in its atmosphere. However, Jupiter is not the only gas giant to have large atmospheric storms, called extraterrestrial vortexes. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have all experienced these storms as well. The image on the left shows a large storm, called the Great… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 5, 2022
June 5, 2022 Tonight just before sunrise at 4:45 am, the red planet Mars will be visible high in the southeastern sky. On April 2, 2022, the Perseverance Rover on Mars witnessed and captured a solar eclipse. The Martian moon Phobos passed between the planet and the Sun, blocking out part of the solar disc.… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: June 3 – June 11, 2022
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, June 3, 2022. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time which is Central Daylight Time (CDT). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If relying on times… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 4, 2022
June 4, 2022 Tonight at 10 pm the crescent moon is visible high over the western horizon in the constellation of Cancer the Crab. The crater Theophilus sits right on the terminator – the line between day and night on the moon. With a pair of binoculars, it is possible to see the central peak… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 3, 2022
June 3, 2022 On this date in 1965, Major Edward White II became the first American astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. He spent 20 minutes outside the Gemini 4 capsule while orbiting Earth at an altitude of 120 miles. Ed White outside of the Gemini IV, performing the first American spacewalk. Image credit: NASA/Jim McDivitt