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
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 2, 2022
June 2, 2022 On this date in 1969, Valentina Tereshkova received her degree from test pilot engineering school. The title of here thesis was “Braking engines for orbital aircraft”. The head of the Soviet Cosmonaut Corps, Nikolai Kamanin wrote in his diaries that he was very proud of her and the fact that “six years… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 1, 2022
June 1, 2022 Today at 4 pm the Moon will pass in front of the dwarf planet Ceres. Since it is still day at this time, the occultation will not be visible. However, the very young crescent moon will be visible just after sunset at 8:45 pm. Approximately 1° N of the Moon is the… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: Updated May 31, 2022
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, May 27, 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: May 31, 2022
May 31, 2022 Tonight at 10 pm the bright star Spica is visible high in the southern sky. Spica is the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo but is actually a binary or double star system. Virgo is often shown holding a bundle of wheat in her arms, which marks the location of Spica.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 30, 2022
May 30, 2022 On this date in 1915, American professor and science advisor Jerome B Wiesner was born. Wiesner was a professor of electrical engineering prior to serving as the science advisor to both Eisenhower and Kennedy. Wiesner was an outspoken critic of human spaceflight and the Apollo program, preferring to send automated space probes.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 29, 2022
May 29, 2022 On this date in 1919, American astronomer Arthur Eddington observed a total solar eclipse which helped confirm Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Eddington sailed to PrÍncipe Island, West Africa in order to view the eclipse, where he saw starlight being bent by the Sun. On the left is one of Eddington’s… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: May 27 – June 4, 2022
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, May 27, 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: May 28, 2022
May 28, 2022 A conjunction of Mars and Jupiter occurs at 7:03 pm today but won’t be visible to us since the sun will still be above the horizon. At the conjunction the two planets would appear just less than 0.5° apart. However, tomorrow morning around 5 am they will still appear very close together.… Continue reading