November 3, 2021 Today in 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 with the first live animal sent into space – a Siberian husky dog, Laika. Biological data, the first data of its kind, was transmitted back to Earth and showed scientists how Laika was adapting to space. The craft was not planned for recovery,… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 31, 2021
October 31, 2021 Today in 1956, an airplane landed at the South Pole for the first time. When Navy Admiral George J. Dufek stepped off the Que Sera Sera, an LC-47 transport plane, he was the first American to set foot on there. He came with an advance party to build the first permanent South… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: October 29 – November 6, 2021
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, October 29, 2021. 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: October 30, 2021
October 30, 2021 The bright yellow star rising in the northeast around 9pm is called Capella. This is the brightest star in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. The quadruple star Capella is rising in the northeast at 9 pm. Image created using Stellarium.
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 29, 2021
October 29, 2021 Today in 1991, the space probe Galileo became the first human object to fly past an asteroid. The encounter provided data and over 150 images of the asteroid Gaspra in the main asteroid belt. Gaspra is approximately 20 kilometers wide. This picture of asteroid 951 Gaspra is a mosaic of two images… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 28, 2021
October 28, 2021 Last quarter moon occurs tonight. Before the Moon rises in the east at 11:30 pm, you will find another phased object in the west after sunset. This object is Venus which reaches greatest eastern elongation tomorrow around 4 pm. Phases of the Moon and Venus on October 28, 2021. Moon image credit:… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 27, 2021
October 27, 2021 Today in 1780, a total solar eclipse was visible in New England. During the American Revolutionary War, the first American solar eclipse expedition was organized and sent out from Harvard College in Massachusetts. A special immunity agreement was negotiated with the British to allow the scientists to work unharmed. The Harvard expedition,… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 26, 2021
October 26, 2021 Tonight at 10 pm, you can find the star Aldebaran rising in the east. If you grab binoculars, this bright orangish red star appears near a V-shape of stars. This V-shape is the open star cluster known as the Hyades. It is found in the winter constellation Taurus the Bull. The orange… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 25, 2021
October 25, 2021 Today in 1975, the Soviet unmanned probe Venera 10 soft-landed on Venus. Although it was designed to last only 30 minutes in the extremely high-temperature and high-pressure environment of Venus, Venera 10 transmitted for a record 65 minutes. More information about Venera 10 may be found in NASA’s ‘Mission’ pages here. The… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: October 24, 2021
October 24, 2021 Mercury reaches greatest western elongation tomorrow. You can look for the elusive planet about 9.5° above the eastern horizon tomorrow morning at 6:40 am. Those with telescopes will see Mercury’s disk 56.9% illuminated. Much like the Moon, both Mercury and Venus exhibit phases. Mercury rising in the east at 6:40 am on… Continue reading